Apple opens the App Store to new competition in Brazil

Apple announced Thursday that developers in Brazil are now allowed to distribute their iOS apps through alternative app stores and process payments for digital goods and services outside of the App Store.

The changes, which are part of Apple’s agreement with Brazil’s competition regulator Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica, or CADE, ease Apple’s rules in another market, following similar reviews in the European Union and Japan.

The move represents another crack in Apple’s long-standing control of the iOS app ecosystem, which regulators have been forced to open up and, in some cases, through legal battles. In the US, for example, Apple is now allowing developers to direct users to third-party payment options as a result of a court decision in Epic Games’ lawsuit against the iPhone maker.

Apple said the updates in the Brazilian market will include the introduction of new protections, including the authentication process for iOS apps distributed outside the App Store, licensing requirements for alternative app markets, and other rules designed to protect children from inappropriate content and scams.

The company also updated Attachment 12 of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement to define the terms for iOS apps in Brazil, which will use the Core Technology Commission (CTC) fee structure. This 5% CTC fee replaced the old Core Technology Fee (CTF) in January as part of Apple’s revised terms of business in the EU. This applies to apps distributed from the App Store, the web, and/or alternative marketplaces.

In Brazil, developers will need to agree to the latest update to the licensing agreement by July 6, 2026, Apple said.