Apple will make it easier for you to pay for music purchases and subscriptions outside of its payment system, if you live in a country in the European Union. As first noticed 9to5MacThe company has updated its Apple Developer Guidelines Page to indicate that iOS and iPadOS music streaming apps “in specific regions” can now include a link to an external website where you can find alternative ways to pay for content and services. The developers may also ask you to provide your email address so they can send you a link to that website.
In early March, the European Union fined Apple 1.8 billion euros ($1.95 billion) for preventing music streaming app developers from informing iOS users “about alternative music subscription services and cheaper ones available outside of the app and will provide instructions on how to use them. subscribe to such offers.” This anti-steering practice, the European Commission said, is illegal under the bloc's new Digital Markets Act (DMA) rules, which came into force in May 2023.
In late March, EU officials revealed that they were investigating Apple, Meta and Google for their compliance with the WFD. The commission was unhappy with the changes the companies made to comply with the law and was concerned that they were still limiting “the ability of developers to freely communicate and promote offers and enter into contracts directly, including by imposing various fees.” “
With these recent changes, music apps can be more transparent about their pricing, so you can make an informed decision about whether to pay through Apple or use other methods offered by developers.
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