There is mainly one way to download apps in both leading operating systems. There's Google's Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS. If all goes to plan, users in the EU would also be able to download apps through Meta's Facebook.
App Downloads Through Facebook
If you scroll through Facebook, you'll come across at least one ad, whether it's for Facebook pages, product commercials, or app promotions. In the latter, you have the choice to download the apps, but it leads you to the App Store or Play Store.
Soon enough, users in the European Union will no longer be redirected to the app stores as the download takes place in-app. The more direct approach using a new type of ad will be rolling out later this year, as reported by The Verge.
For Android users, it's actually possible to download apps outside of the Google Play Store. There are several websites that hold downloadable APKs. However, the system will warn the user of it coming from an unknown source, which could potentially carry malware.
There's also the issue of licensing and in-app purchases. Apps that are not downloaded from the Play Store cannot be updated. Users will also have trouble with billing and in-app purchases since the payment system is connected to Google's store.
Tom Channick, a spokesperson from Meta, says that the company has always been interested in helping developers distribute their apps, and that "new options would add more competition" in the space.
Of course, this could also be an opportunity for Meta to add another revenue stream. Meta still has no plans to get a percentage of the sales based on the number of downloads gathered through the app, but that could change in the future.
Meta is simply taking advantage of the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which prevents what they call "gatekeepers" from being the sole platform for official app downloads. The DMA will provide users with other options when it comes to downloading apps.
Digital Markets Act
The act has a lot of goals in mind, and they majorly benefit business users or developers when it comes to revenue and the business environment they operate in. With the DMA, technology startups won't have to comply with "unfair terms and conditions limiting their development."
Consumers will also have the choice to switch to different platforms if they wish, especially if the other offers direct access to services or fairer prices. With competitors present, the "gatekeepers" will also have to keep up with other services to remain operational.
The act allows business users to access the data they generate when using the main platforms, as well as promote offers and conclude contracts with consumers outside the main stores' platform, as mentioned by the EU Commission.
With the Digital Markets Act, the pre-installed software and apps on devices can soon be uninstalled instead of simply disabling them. Users will also be able to link up to businesses outside the "gatekeeper" platforms.
