Apple just announced a wave of changes primarily focused on its App Store policy for users in the European Union, but one man in particular remains unfazed.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney is back with harsh words for the company, lambasting its policy updates in a new post on his personal X profile. Sweeney labeled the changes as nothing more but “malicious compliance” on Apple’s part, delving into deeper criticism over specific terms of the series of changes the Cupertino company announced today.
Apple's plan to thwart Europe's new Digital Markets Act law is a devious new instance of Malicious Compliance.
They are forcing developers to choose between App Store exclusivity and the store terms, which will be illegal under DMA, or accept a new also-illegal anticompetitive…— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 25, 2024Discover new horizons, always connected with eSIM
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Sweeney labels Apple’s Core Technology Fee as “junk fees” and nothing more than a new form of the so-called “Apple tax.” This is despite Apple’s offering to lower its 15-30 percent commission fee to 10-17 percent if developers choose to accept the new App Store business terms in Europe. The Core Technology Fee Apple plans to charge is quite small too, charging developers 0.50 euros per every install per every app download through alternative app marketplaces after the first one million downloads.
Sweeney also thinks that Apple’s malicious compliance could make it reject alternative app marketplaces from existing in the first place from developers it might not like. Sweeney is concerned that Apple could reject the Epic Games Store from existing on iOS if it chooses so while also confirming that Epic is “determined” to launch its Games Store with iOS 17.4.
Sweeney has nice things to say about Apple’s plans to notarize apps downloaded outside the App Store, but has fears over the company “twisting” these powers to further “undermine competition and continue imposing Apple taxes on transactions they’re not involved in.”
