Australians might soon have the ability to download apps outside of the Apple App Store and avoid additional charges on iPhone purchases under a federal government proposal. But, Apple warns that applying EU-style competition rules to apps could harm security and competition.
Australian users currently cannot subscribe to services like Netflix or Spotify through their iOS apps, while Google charges more for YouTube subscriptions on the App Store and Amazon prevents Kindle users from buying ebooks through the app. This is due to Apple taking a cut of up to 30% on in-app purchases, which affects the highest-earning apps. Companies cannot inform customers how to make purchases elsewhere under Apple rules.
In November, the government proposed “designating” digital platforms like the Apple App Store, requiring them to adhere to rules targeting anti-competitive behavior. This includes targeting Apple’s favored in-app payment scheme and allowing users to download apps from sources outside the App Store, known as sideloading. Apple argues against using the EU’s Digital Markets as a “blueprint” for the scheme, highlighting the potential privacy, security, and malware risks of sideloading.
Apple also claims the DMA is the reason for the delayed launch of its AI features and argues that the 30% rate is only applied to the highest-earning apps, with most developers charged 15%. Foad Fadaghi, the managing director and principal analyst at Telsyte, says opening up Apple’s platform may be useful for some users but will not change overall iPhone usage.
The federal government has not announced the next steps in the process, and submissions to the proposal remain unpublished. A federal court judgment on Epic Games’ case against Apple and Google over app store practices is also awaited.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/06/australians-may-soon-be-able-to-download-iphone-apps-from-outside-apple-app-store-under-government-proposal-ntwnfb