Apple allows alternative app stores, payments in Brazil after deal with regulator

Apple

18/06/2026 16:00

    SAO PAULO, June 18 (Reuters) - Apple AAPL.O said on Thursday it will allow developers in Brazil to distribute iOS apps through alternative marketplaces and process payments outside its system, following an agreement with the country's antitrust watchdog CADE. 
 
Apple agreed to make the changes to its services in December when it settled a dispute that had been opened in 2022. 
For apps distributed via the App Store in Brazil, developers will be able to offer alternative payment methods within their apps and direct users to external websites to complete transactions, the company said.
"These updates create new options for developers to distribute apps on alternative app marketplaces and to process app payments for digital goods and services outside of Apple in-app purchases," Apple said.
The company said it will introduce protections including app notarization, authorization requirements for marketplaces, and safeguards for younger users against inappropriate content
Apple warned that alternative app marketplaces and payment systems could increase risks such as malware, fraud, scams and privacy threats
Developers can begin using the new features on Thursday as part of iOS 26.5.

 (Reporting by Isabel Teles; Additional reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Jan Harvey)
 ((isabel.teles@thomsonreuters.com; +55 11 91033 3602))