Developers who want to distribute their apps on Apple’s App Store in the European Union (EU) are unhappy with the latest requirement imposed on them.
Apple’s August 15 post reminded developers who plan on distributing their iPhone and iPad apps in the EU to submit their postal addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. These personal details will be displayed on developers’ App Store pages for everyone to see.
Some developers are understandably unhappy that people will be able to see where they live and how they can be reached. Others, like smaller teams and independent developers, may not even have a business address and phone number to share. But why would Apple compromise developers’ privacy? Isn’t Apple a company that’s well-regarded for protecting customer privacy more than its tech peers?
EU developers must share personal info on App Store pages
It’s actually not Apple’s fault. You can chalk it up to the bureaucrats in Brussels, as Juli Clover explains at MacRumors:
The Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union requires Apple to verify and display trader contract information for all “traders” who are distributing apps on the App Store in the European Union. Developers who make money from the App Store through an upfront cost or through in-app purchases are considered traders, regardless of size.
There’s no way for an EU developer who isn’t classified as a trader to disregard the requirement if they wish to see their apps carried on the EU App Store. Developers can enter their trade status and the requested information using App Store Connect.
Trader status must submit app updates starting October 16, 2024. Trader information must be provided before an app is submitted. The company will pull any apps without trader status from the EU App Store on February 17, 2025.