Apple is eliminating approximately 137 thousand applications from the App Store.
Updated Article:
Hitting the digital cleanup mode, Apple axed over 137,000 apps from its European App Store in a week's time. The sweep comes after the European Union enacted stricter guidelines via the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA forced app providers, who make money from their applications, to share more detailed contact information, switching from email addresses as the norm to requiring phone numbers and postal addresses. This shift aims to boost user transparency and security.
Apple issued a heads-up to developers back in mid-January, warning them that non-compliance with the updated "Trader" status under the DSA would result in removal. By the February 17 deadline, Apple followed through, booting apps that failed to update and share necessary contact information via App Store Connect. Over 137,000 developers side-stepped this, resulting in their apps' disappearance from the EU App Store, as reported by Techcrunch and Appfigures.
EU Regulations have exempts
Initially, small and independent developers have been hesitant to share complete contact details due to data protection concerns and the added bureaucratic effort. Only hobby developers who lack commercial intentions are exempted from the DSA's requirements.
Apple's review process to re-enable apps varies in terms of time, with no specific information available on average duration. Developers must update their contact information prudently to hasten the re-enabling process, curtailing potential delays. As soon as the necessary data is submitted and verified, Apple displays it on the app's product page in EU regions, adhering to DSA regulations.
Tone Adjustment:The new article preserves an informal, approachable, and straightforward tone while incorporating relevant details from the enrichment data to improve readability and enhance the information provided without overloading the text. The paragraphs have been reorganized and restructured, ensuring sentence revisions and a fresh, original tone.
The EU Regulations under DSA have exempted hobby developers with no commercial intentions from disclosing their complete contact details due to data protection concerns and added bureaucratic effort. Despite the initial hesitation, over 137,000 developers, including some who make money from their apps, had not disclosed the required contact information by January, leading to the disappearance of their apps from the European App Store as reported by Techcrunch and Appfigures. Apple has clarified that their review process to re-enable affected apps can vary in terms of time, and developers must disclose the necessary contact details via App Store Connect to expedite the process.
