Aptoide, the pioneer in global alternative Android app distribution, has launched a new campaign website, Leveling the game, including an Open Letter from the Aptoide founders, to demand full compliance from gatekeepers with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and to urge regulators to take further action against anti-competitive practices by digital gatekeepers. Since 2011, Aptoide has been a vocal advocate for fair competition in the mobile app market, consistently challenging the market dominance of tech giants like Google.
With the March 2024 deadline for complete DMA compliance from gatekeepers set for this week, Aptoide sees this as a critical juncture for achieving true fairness in digital markets. However, the company also points out that significant obstacles remain, particularly with Apple’s recent DMA-related proposals, which include the introduction of a Core Technology Fee (CTF) and restrictive terms that limit developers’ access to alternative platforms.
“Aptoide has always advocated for a digital marketplace where innovation thrives and fairness reigns”, said Paulo Trezentos, Aptoide’s CEO and co-founder. “The DMA is a landmark step in that direction, but it’s clear that some tech gatekeepers are reluctant to let go of their stranglehold on the mobile industry. We must continue to push for reforms that will truly level the playing field”.
Aptoide argues that Apple’s proposed changes mostly serve to preserve its market dominance rather than to foster genuine competition, maintaining control by imposing disproportionate fees on alternative app stores and discouraging users from exploring non-Apple ecosystems through complex installation processes and misleading warnings.
Álvaro Pinto, co-founder and COO of Aptoide, added, “We’re at a crucial moment where the actions of regulators will determine the future of digital markets. Apple’s half-hearted reforms under the DMA are simply not enough. We need to ensure that the spirit of the DMA is not lost in loopholes and half-measures”.
In response to these challenges, Aptoide calls on EU authorities to hold Apple accountable and to demand that they:
- Eliminate or significantly reduce the CTF to reflect actual costs.
- Offer developers the freedom to choose between distribution models without restrictions.
- Simplify the app installation process for a better user experience.
- Apply the CTF fairly across all market participants.
- Remove misleading warnings about alternative payment systems.
- Ensure the confidentiality of data from competing marketplaces.
Aptoide believes that real competition can only emerge if the EU takes decisive action to enforce open market principles, leading to a digital marketplace that values fairness and innovation. And that the fight for an open digital marketplace is far from over and requires a united front. That’s why the company urges developers, consumers and regulators to join in demanding more from both Apple and Google.
Aptoide invites all stakeholders to visit their new DMA advocacy landing page, Leveling the game, to learn more about the ongoing struggle for an open digital world and to join the movement against the outdated monopolistic tactics of dominant gatekeepers.
