Tech giant Apple has been forced to back down in Brazil, South America’s largest market, following a similar move in the European Union. Having reached a settlement in a long-running antitrust case with the local competition authority CADE, the company is fundamentally changing its App Store rules. Under the agreement, Apple will now allow Brazilian users to sideload applications and developers to offer alternative payment methods.
Leaked new fee structure surprises
While details of the agreement are not yet official, Brazilian technology websites have obtained information about the new commission rates to be implemented by Apple. According to these leaks, the standard commission rate for purchases made through the App Store will be 25%, while 10% will apply to special programs. Developers using Apple’s payment system will pay an additional 5% transaction fee. A 15% commission will be charged for links that redirect users to websites outside the app, but no fee will be charged for static text links that are not clickable.
The competition authority CADE has given Apple 105 days, starting today, to implement these changes. The company must prepare the necessary technical infrastructure and implement the new rules within this period. If Apple fails to meet the specified schedule or violates the rules, it will face a hefty fine of 150 million Brazilian Reals, approximately $27.1 million. Furthermore, the possibility of reopening the administrative investigation remains.
A 5% Core Technology Fee is also expected to be charged for alternative app stores in the new period. Apple stated that these changes could create new privacy and security risks within the iOS ecosystem. However, the company emphasizes that it will continue to implement certain security measures, particularly to protect young users. Similar to models in the European and Japanese markets, this new structure is expected to be officially announced in the coming weeks.
Do you think Apple’s application of different commission rates in different countries is fair? Should there be a similar regulation in Turkey? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
