App Store

A 5% Core Technology Commission in Apple’s new EU terms and an Australian third-party-store ruling mark a shift from App Store control toward regulated access.

Who they are

The App Store is Apple’s software-distribution and commercial platform for iPhone and other Apple devices, appearing in coverage as the gatekeeper between developers, consumers and Apple’s broader services business. Its reach is substantial: Apple says more than 800 million users visit it weekly, while stories also track the platform’s influence over app discovery, payments, policy enforcement and access to iOS users.

The recent arc

Recent coverage accelerated in 2025Q2 and again in 2026Q2–Q3 as the story moved beyond individual developer disputes toward the platform’s regulatory terms and internal ownership. A 2025 contempt finding held that Apple violated an order requiring App Store changes, while a study found consumer-facing AI apps on the store had four times the billings growth of other apps in 2025. Coverage also captured the store’s role as a distribution chokepoint in fast-moving consumer events, including the rise of Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 ahead of a possible US TikTok ban and Apple’s removal of ICEBlock after a DOJ request.

In August 2026, Apple announced EU business terms intended to resolve disputes, including a 5% Core Technology Commission and new commission tiers. The September stories then said Apple was moving the App Store into the Eddy Cue-led Services unit, alongside reports that plans to increase App Store profits contributed to Phil Schiller’s departure. The latest headline adds another access challenge: an Australian federal judge ruled that Apple must allow third-party app stores for Australian iPhone users from March 2027, a ruling Apple plans to appeal.

The tension

The core tension is between Apple’s control of iOS distribution and regulators’ and developers’ push for more choice over how apps reach users and transact. Epic and Fortnite remain central historical reference points after Apple terminated Epic’s App Store account amid their legal dispute, but recent pressure is broader: the EU’s Digital Markets Act scrutiny of anti-steering rules and fees, the US court finding, and the Australian third-party-store ruling all test the same model. Internally, the move to Services underscores the countervailing pressure to make the platform more profitable.

Why it matters

If this trajectory holds, the App Store may become less a single global set of rules than a regionally differentiated services business, with distinct commissions, distribution options and compliance obligations. That could affect developer economics and consumer access across iPhone markets while preserving substantial Apple control in areas not covered by specific remedies. The unresolved question is whether appeals, new terms and organizational changes will satisfy regulators without materially weakening the platform’s commercial role.

Related: Apple · iPhone · Epic · Fortnite · Apple has terminated Epic's App Store account, following legal dispute