Thousands of Apps Removed from EU App Store as Apple Enforces DSA
A fantastic game of digital hide-and-seek is ongoing, played in such a way that thousands of apps have fallen off from the EU App Store overnight. Nobody has hacked into or crashed out the systems, Apple simply decided to play bouncer to those apps wishing to enter the compliance club. This is why pop-up apps are nowhere to be found in the EU App Store, as almost thousands of apps mysteriously disappeared. The deadline for the Digital Services Act (DSA) demanded apps without verifiable developer contact details to be tossed aside. Apple’s expression, according to its EU agreement, might be a triumph for transparency, but, for most developers, it seems like an intense crash course in red tape.
As the deadline for the enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the European Union approaches, Apple has removed apps without any compliance concerning the transparency clauses. On February 18, 2025, apps belonging to developers without verified and up to date contact information, address, phone number, and email would simply get wiped out from the EU App Store. This goes in accordance with Articles 30 and 31 of the DSA, which requires app developers to disclose their “trader status” regarding accountability and protection for consumers.
Apple’s Removal of Non-Compliant Apps:
In an official statement to developers, it was found that Apple will remove all such non-compliant apps and will not reinstate them until they verify their trader status. According to the company, they should have known about these policies long before and should not be surprised.
Appfigures, an app intelligence provider, reported that nearly 135,000 apps have gone inactive across all of the EU member state App Stores in just about 30 hours. It definitely pulls the number high away probably because many developers, smaller and independent, suddenly emerge shocked with the new strict requirements.
Consequences for Independent Developers:
Although the impact of the policy is felt among all those who earn revenue via the App Store, be it through paid downloads, in-app purchases, or ads, the greater effect has tilted more towards the smaller independent developers. Many of these people here do not have a regular business, even the office does not mean that they are at home or have little work with some online contact details. Some have gone to such lengths as actually registering with co-working spaces, virtual offices, PO boxes, or virtual phone numbers to keep it all, while still being able to meet Apple’s verification criteria.
For organizations, it now requires a phone number, email, and address associated with the D-U-N-S Number. Similar information needs to be provided by individual developers now publicly visible in the EU App Store under app details situated between the app’s age rating and the developer’s website link.
DSA’s Broader Perspective:
The DSA is the European Union’s effort to increase transparency and accountability among digital services while scrutinizing the businesses that operate online with regard to consumer identification and reach. While such a move has been heralded as a step toward the betterment of consumer protection rights, it has given birth to a different kind of fear of privacy, especially among individual developers who are otherwise inclined to release personal information.
With the enforcement now full-blown, developers have only one option, act fast to restore their apps or risk losing access to customers in the EU forever. As such an enforcement of the DSA from Apple underscores growing regulatory pressure on digital platforms, it raises the signal of concern about privacy among the little developers. Changing rules in the tech world is nothing new but if one wants to survive in an EU market, ensure that private information goes through Apple to reach you.
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