The European Union (EU) is getting tough with Big Tech that operates in the countries that are part of the organization. With the entry into force of the Digital Services Act (DSA), many companies have had to step up to comply with the regulations. Apple is making many changes in this regard in its App Store, but it still has to do more. Application developers will soon be required to provide an address and telephone number so that users can contact them.
Within the requirements of the new European Digital Services Law, major technology brands will be required to verify the contact information of any “merchant.” The data must be provided publicly. This way, consumers will be able to resolve any problem or question that arises more easily.
This affects Apple with the developers who make some type of income from their app, which is the majority. As detailed by the apple brand itself, these are merchants in the eyes of the EU, regardless of whether the economic benefits are direct from the App Store or not. That is, they also take into account the earnings that occur within the platform or with advertisements.
Therefore, the only ones who will be freed from having to provide an address and contact telephone number in the App Store will be developers with completely free apps without ads. Creators must send this data to make it public with updates or when adding a new application. However, Apple gives a deadline of February 17, 2025. Those who do not do so will be removed from the App Store within the EU.
A problem for App Store developers
Great apps don’t have a big drawback, as they usually have customer service. But not all developers have a specific phone number or address for their work and the change in the App Store could be a problem for them. In many cases, smaller app creators will have to provide their personal data or answer user calls themselves, which can be a problem for them.
Although there are developers who complain about Apple’s move, the company can’t do much about it. The purpose behind this change to the App Store is none other than to comply with the new regulations of the European Union. Otherwise, it would be the app store that would have to disappear from the continent and, therefore, all iOS apps would disappear.
Individual developers will be required to provide their address or PO box, a telephone number and a contact email, according to the DSA. For their part, organizations will have it easier, since the App Store will only require the number and email, without specifying a specific location.
Contact information will appear below the description of the applications within the App Store. As Spain is part of the European Union, Spanish users will be able to see this data when searching for a platform within the official iOS store. However, foreign developers may provide numbers from their country or we may only be able to contact you in English, which may not be as helpful for some.
