EU rules force Apple to disclose App Store user numbers in Europe

by Janice Allen
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Apple has disclosed the number of active monthly users for different versions of its App Store in Europe to comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). The disclosure published Apple’s legal resources site shows that the iOS App Store has 101 million users in Europe, trailing the iPadOS App Store with 23 million users. The macOS App Store has six million users and the tvOS App Store has one million.

The tech giant also provided estimated figures for the paid subscriptions of watchOS App Store, Apple Books and Podcasts, which have fewer than one million monthly users in Europe.

Platforms with more than 45 million users are bound by stricter regulations under the European DSA rules

The recently passed DSA legislation classifies technology platforms with more than 45 million users as very large online platforms (VLOPs) that must hand over important data to researchers to “give greater insight into how online risk is evolving.” The European Union recently confirmed a list of 19 platforms that would fall under the strictest regulation under the DSA, including the Apple App Store, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Amazon. Companies on that list are required to be proactive in analyzing and reporting risks related to artificial intelligence and algorithms.

claimed Apple back in February that the iOS App Store was the only product to qualify as a VLOP, but did not disclose the number of active monthly users for the platform at the time. The company also said that while it was only required by law to provide its iOS App Store numbers, it would voluntarily adjust its other products to comply with DSA regulations.

“Apple intends, on a completely voluntary basis, to align each of the existing versions of the App Store (including those that do not currently meet the VLOP designation threshold) with existing DSA requirements for VLOPs, as the goals of the DSA align with Apple’s goals of protecting consumers from illegal content,” the company said in a statement.

a Report 2022 based on lobbying documents obtained by Corporate Europe Observatory and Global Witness revealed that technology giants such as Apple, Meta, Google and Amazon had significantly increased their spending on EU lobbying following the DSA and DMA (Digital Markets Act) proposed in December 2020. It report notes that Apple was “particularly active in pushing back on measures that could open its grip on Apple’s App Store or mobile operating system,” and that it had spent €3.5 million (about $3.8 million) lobbying in the EU in 2020 and another €6.5 million (about $7.1 million) in 2021 – more than any other technology company.

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