EU and Utah widen app-store rules

App-store policy just got more real in two places that matter a lot — Brussels and Utah. In Europe, the European Commission reviewed the Digital Markets Act and said the law is working, even after fining Apple €500 million last year over anti-steering rules. In Utah, lawmakers amended the state’s App Store Accountability Act, then the industry group challenging the original version dropped its case. Put those together and the message is pretty simple: this is no longer one-off political noise. Store rules are becoming product rules. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) ### What changed in Europe? On April 28, 2026, the Commission published its first formal DMA review and said the law remains “fit for purpose” after two years. The review said businesses and developers have more opportunities, users have more control, and consumers have access to more (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) law. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu) ### Why is Apple still fighting this? Apple’s complaint is not really about one fine. It is about the whole direction of travel. Kyle Andeer, Apple’s vice president for products and regulatory law, argued in recent comments that the DMA is hurting privacy and innovation, especially whe(digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu)still said the regime is basically working. (appleinsider.com) ### What is the concrete EU pressure point? The sharpest example is steering. On April 23, 2025, the Commission said Apple breached the DMA’s anti-steering obligation and fined it €500 million, while ordering the company to remove technical and commercial restrictions that kept developers from pointing users to outside offers. The C(appleinsider.com)So this is not abstract philosophy — it reaches straight into checkout flows and link-out design. (ec.europa.eu) ### What changed in Utah? Utah did not scrap its app-store law. It rewrote it. H.B. 498 adds requirements for pre-installed applications, changes provider and developer duties, modifies age-related defaults and restrictions, and creates a special effective date. The big practical shift is that the amended law pushes the key requirements out to May 6, 2027, which buys companies time but also broadens the surface area they need to map. (le.utah.gov) ### Why did the lawsuit go away? Because the target moved. The Computer & Communications Industry Association voluntarily dismissed its constitutional challenge on April 21, 2026 after Utah changed the statute. One major amendment removed the Utah attorney general’s enforcement authority. Under the revised setup, claims mainly run through a private right of action by injured minors (le.utah.gov)— just that the first lawsuit was aimed at an older version of the law. (alston.com) ### Why do pre-installed apps matter so much? Because pre-installs break the old defense that regulation only touches app stores as storefronts. Once a law reaches software that ships on the device, the compliance problem moves closer to operating-system design, default settings, family controls, and first-run setup. Basically, the line(alston.com)t only affects third-party downloads. (le.utah.gov) ### Who feels this first? Consumer app companies do. Payments, age checks, external offers, ranking, and install paths all shape conversion. A rule that lets more steering in Europe can lower platform take rates or change where purchases happen. A rule that adds age-verification duties in Utah can add friction to signup and expand liability around minors. None of that sounds glamorous, but it changes growth math fast. (ec.europa.eu) ### So what is the real takeaway? The app economy is entering a phase where platform governance is a core product risk, not just a legal footnote. Europe is locking in competition remedies. States like Utah are experimenting with child-safety obligations that reach deeper into device software. The companies that win here will not just build(ec.europa.eu)ket by market. (digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu)