Regulation: Alternative app stores in Brazil – and controversial Apple fee
After the EU and Japan, as well as parts of South Korea and the US, Apple must also open up the iPhone in Brazil. Developers are only semi-enthusiastic.
Mobile phone with Brazilian flag: Apple has to open up the iPhone in more and more markets – inspired by EU regulation.
(Image: Marli Anders Esmeriz / Shutterstock)
Apple is opening up its app landscape on the iPhone in another country: following the European Union and Japan, so-called alternative app marketplaces ("Alternative App Marketplace") will soon also be permitted in Brazil. As of April 2026, corresponding directives from the local market regulator CADE (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa EconĂ´mica) will be implemented, reports the news agency Reuters, among others. This will end a three-year antitrust case after CADE had internally deliberated on an agreement. Apple had previously proposed an opening that is based on what is known from other regions.
Apple warns of risks – as it has in other markets
In addition to alternative app stores, Apple must also allow external payment methods. This is already known from South Korea and the USA, in addition to the EU and Japan. Apple criticized that the opening of the platform could lead to "risks to user privacy and security," an argument the company has been making on the topic for years.
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The company has tried to provide "safeguards against some of the threats" but cannot rule out "every risk." App providers accuse Apple of scaring users with so-called scare screens into using alternative app offerings. Apple has a total of 105 days after the agreement with CADE is concluded to implement the regulation – this results in the aforementioned April. However, it is also conceivable that the implementation will occur earlier. In any case, the iPhone manufacturer is technically prepared. It is currently expected that the company will face a similar market opening obligation in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Fees for "Core Technology" and Payments
Should Apple not comply with the agreement with CADE, a penalty of up to 25 million euros is threatened. Apple plans to charge developers who do not want to use the App Store with its 15 (up to 1 million US dollars in revenue) or 30 percent commission a platform fee. According to local reports, citing CADE information, third-party app offerings must pay a "Core Technology Fee" of 5 percent.
If the App Store is used, the fee is 10 or 25 percent plus 5 percent for payment processing – as before. If a developer wants to use an external website for payments, a 15 percent fee will likely apply.
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