Apple loosens its grip over App Store payments

Apple settled a wide-ranging class action lawsuit with US app makers on Thursday, announcing changes to the App Store such as giving developers more flexibility to advertise outside payment methods.

The settlement will include US$100-million worth of payments to app makers ranging from $250 to $30 000/developer.

“To give developers even more flexibility to reach their customers, Apple is also clarifying that developers can use communications, such as e-mail, to share information about payment methods outside of their iOS app,” the company said in a statement.

The settlement between the Cupertino, California-based technology giant and US developers follows months of scrutiny of Apple’s App Store practices. Apple also has waged a legal battle with Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, over its policies.

The company also said it would retain recent changes to the App Store search engine for the next three years.

‘Objective characteristics’
“At the request of developers, Apple has agreed that its search results will continue to be based on objective characteristics like downloads, star ratings, text relevance and user behaviour signals,” Apple said.

The company is expanding the number of price points developers can offer and will publish an annual App Store transparency support about app removals.