Following the EU and Japan, Brazil has now forced Apple to open up iOS to third-party app stores and non-Apple payment processing for developers. App developers can now use alternative app stores in Brazil to distribute their apps, and they can also process payments made for apps and games and in-app purchases outside of Apple’s payment system.
Just like every other time it’s been forced to do something like this in the past, Apple is once again highlighting how these changes “open new avenues for malware, fraud, scams, and privacy and security risks”.
All alternative app stores will have to be authorized by Apple and “will need to meet ongoing requirements to serve developers and users”. Apple will also “conduct a baseline review”, which it calls Notarization, on all apps, even those that come from alternative stores. This process “focuses on basic functionality and protecting users from serious threats”, the company says.
Notarization “involves a combination of automated checks and human review”, but it is “less comprehensive than the App Review process that applies to all apps on the App Store”.
Developers will be able to use third-party payment systems even for apps they distribute through the App Store. The alternative payment methods will, however, “always be presented alongside Apple In-App Purchase”.
Like in other parts of the world, Apple is still getting paid handsomely. It’s demanding a 15% commission on transactions for apps and services made on websites linked to by an app, with a reduced rate of 10% applying to some developers. This is the same amount Apple is now taking from “the vast majority of developers” with apps in the App Store who use Apple’s payment services. A minority will pay 21% instead. In-app purchases made through Apple come with an additional 5% fee.
There’s also the “Core Technology Commission”, which makes developers pay 5% to Apple even if they sell their apps outside of the App Store, using a new alternative marketplace. This “compensates Apple for the tools, technologies, and services that enable developers to build and share their apps with iOS users”, according to the company.