Soon after
Apple
terminated the developer account of Epic Games, the
European Union
(EU) took matters into its own hands and asked Apple to provide “further explanation” on its decision. The EU is probing Apple’s decision for potential violations of three key regulations. Epic, known for developing the popular game Fortnite, planned to launch its
Epic Games
Store on iOS in Europe and has now accused Apple of breaching the bloc's
Digital Markets Act
(DMA) by terminating its account.
EU wants explanation from Apple
The EU has requested an explanation from Apple regarding the termination of Epic Games’ developer account. The EU regulator is also evaluating whether Apple’s decision is in violation of other EU laws like the
Digital Services Act
(DSA) and the Platform-to-Business Regulation (P2B).
On this, Apple is justifying its decision by referencing a US court ruling, claiming that Epic's breach of contractual obligations warranted the termination. The company has referred to the global nature of its Developer Program License Agreements (DPLA) and has argued that the breach occurred on a global scale.
The move from Apple has once again prevented Epic from bringing Fortnite back on iPhones and from launching its Epic Games Store on iOS in the region. Epic has claimed that its plans were in-line with the new DMA guidelines of allowing alternate app marketplaces on iOS.
It is to be noted that Apple has allowed the option of an alternate marketplace on iOS in the EU as per the new regulations.
In September 2021, a US court ruled Apple does not hold a monopoly in digital mobile gaming transactions but it did not order the company not to prohibit developers from adding links to their apps as alternative payment systems.
Apple cited this ruling to justify terminating Epic’s developer account, however, the US ruling may not make a big difference within the EU and it could be seen as Apple’s strategy to use the US ruling for its advantage.
English (US) ·