The Apple App Store has been operating as a major platform for mobile app distribution and developer business since its launch in 2008. The App Store, which started with 500 apps at launch, currently has more than 1.8 million apps registered, and more than 99.99% of iOS apps are apps created by developers outside of Apple. 85% of all apps do not pay any fees to Apple.

As of 2024, the amount of payments generated through the global app store ecosystem was calculated to be $1.3 trillion. Of this, more than 90% went to developers and companies without Apple receiving any fees. In Korea, developer transactions and sales generated through the App Store reached $27 billion in 2024.

Apple views personal information protection and security as key factors in operating the App Store. Apps registered in the App Store go through a screening process and are managed to ensure that they do not contain malicious code, viruses, tools that collect unauthorized user information, or harmful content. Our app review team reviews an average of 150,000 app submissions each week and has blocked more than $2 billion worth of potentially fraudulent transactions and more than 4.7 million stolen credit cards by 2024.

In-app purchases are also described as one of the user protection features. Apple's in-app payment prevents unfair payment methods and fraudulent activities and provides functions such as subscription cancellation and refund, purchase history inquiry, and purchase request. The App Store commerce system supports 195 payment methods and 44 currencies. In Korea, developers can choose a third-party payment system in addition to Apple's in-app payment.

In terms of developer support, we provide an environment that can reach more than 850 million App Store visitors per week on average in 175 regions around the world. Apple provides more than 250,000 core APIs, app development training, testing, and upgrade support. In Korea, the Apple Developer Academy, located at Pohang University of Science and Technology, is being operated, and since opening in 2022, the number of graduates has exceeded 600. There are more than 90 apps developed by graduates and released on the App Store.

Changes following the implementation of the European Union's Digital Market Act (DMA) are also presented as reference cases. Apple has introduced alternative business terms in the EU in response to DMA requirements, and developers who adopt these terms will receive lower commission rates. According to a DMA-related report released by Analysis Group in November 2025, developers maintained or increased product prices in more than 90% of cases even though commission rates were generally lowered by about 10 percentage points. The price reduction was approximately 9% of the total price in the EU app store.

The report analyzed that these price cuts were similar to existing price fluctuation patterns, making it difficult to say that most price cuts were directly linked to fee cuts. Additionally, most of the fee savings were attributed to developers rather than consumers, and more than 86% of the saved profits were found to have gone to developers in regions other than the EU.

Regarding the report, an Apple representative said, "The European Digital Markets Act (DMA) has not lived up to expectations, is reducing the privacy and security of consumers across Europe and is resulting in a worse user experience for them. This study provides further evidence that DMA is not delivering benefits to consumers in the form of lower prices." He went on to say that Apple is aware that this regulation is creating new barriers for innovators and startups and exposing consumers to new risks.

Apple's position is that the privacy and security implications of sideloading must be considered. Sideloading refers to installing apps through a route outside the App Store, and Apple believes that this method can increase security risks such as malware or viruses.