Apple retreats in fight to defend App Store in Europe

Apple made a major concession in its battle to protect the dominance of its App Store on iPhones and other devices in Europe, saying developers will be free to distribute their apps directly to consumers.

Apple announced the changes to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which kicked in last week.

The changes could dent the high profit margins and steady stream of revenue that Apple has come to rely on from its App store, where it charges developers fees of up to 30%.

The changes, which affect only the European Union, come amid continuing criticism from rivals that Apple’s compliance efforts are falling short.

Beginning this spring, software developers operating in Europe will be able to distribute apps to EU customers directly from their own websites instead of through the App Store.