• First third party App Store in the EU is live

    Following changes in iOS 17.4 and legislation allowing them, the first new alternative app store has launched in the EU, that promises to help distribute "indie" apps at a low-cost yearly fee. Image Credit: AltStore On Wednesday, AltStore PAL announced that it is officially launching as an alternative to Apple's App Store in the European Union. It bills itself as an "open-source, crowd-funded app store for indies." According to the developers, distributing apps via AltStore PAL is...

    • CNET

    Apple Users in the EU Now Have a New Third-Party App Store to Play With

    Altstore PAL is available only for residents in the EU as part of the Digital Markets Act ruling that Apple must allow third-party app stores.

  • TikTok Lite axes ‘addictive as cigarettes’ reward-to-watch feature under the EU’s watchful eye

    The EU has effectively vanquished a TikTok feature that Europe’s digital commissioner described as “toxic” and “addictive as cigarettes.” Owner ByteDance said on Wednesday that TikTok Lite’s reward-to-watch feature would be suspended. It’s been a brutal day for TikTok as President Biden signed a bill (also on Wednesday) forcing ByteDance to sell the platform’s US operations or face a ban. TikTok Lite, launched earlier this month in France and Spain, lets users earn rewards by watching and liking...

  • Apple will now let users in the EU download apps through web sites, not just the App Store

    Apple is opening up web distribution for iOS apps targeting users in the European Union starting Tuesday. Developers who opt in — and who meet Apple’s criteria, including app notarization requirements — will be able to offer iPhone apps for direct download to EU users from their own websites. It’s a massive change for a […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

  • YouTube Is Cracking Down on Third-party Apps That Block Ads

    YouTube is blocking third-party apps with ad blockers from streaming videos. The change follows other crackdowns on ad blockers on YouTube's part.

  • Google is cracking down on third-party apps that block YouTube ads

    In a support document, Google said that users attempting to access YouTube videos through third-party apps with built-in ad-blocking could experience buffering issues or see an error that reads "The following content is not available on this app."Read Entire Article

    • WLNS

    Guthrie’s write-in campaign will face name on ballot

    A recent Michigan State University graduate has filed to run as a Democrat for the Meridian Township Clerk position, effectively delivering a death knell to incumbent Deborah Guthrie.

  • YouTube's crackdown on ad blockers expands to third-party apps

    Last year, YouTube launched a full-on assault against ad blockers in October, following an initial small scale experiment in June. Now, many months later, the crackdown is expanding. YouTube has announced that it will be commencing enforcement of its anti-ad blocker policy on third-party apps that violate YouTube's Terms of Service. YouTube specifically calls out "ad-blocking apps", on this occasion, although we assume third-party players with ad blocking built-in could also be a target. As...

    • CNET

    Apple Users in Europe Get a New Third-Party App Store

    Altstore PAL is available only to EU residents after a ruling that Apple has to allow third-party app stores.

  • AltStore PAL third-party iOS app store launches in Europe

    After the EU forced Apple to open up its iOS platform for third-party app stores, we now have the first alternative to Apple's default App Store.It's called AltStore PAL, which is rather fitting. Technically, AltStore PALhas been around since 2019, but you were able to access it after "hacking" your way into it. You had to "disguise" yourself as a developer using companion software called AltServer running on your computer. But after the EU Commission's DMA, AltStore PAL is now available to...

  • TikTok questioned by EU over Lite app that ‘pays’ users for watching videos

    European Commission has concerns about app’s impact on children, as well as addictionThe EU has given TikTok 24 hours to provide a risk assessment over a new service it has launched amid concerns it could encourage children to become addicted to videos on the platform.The watch-and-get-rewarded application, TikTok Lite, launched in France and Spain this month, in effect offers users prizes such as Amazon vouchers, gift cards via PayPal or TikTok’s Coins currency for points earned through...

  • YouTube Ad Blocker Crackdown: Now Targeting Third-Party Apps

    YouTube's ad blocker crackdown is not yet over, as it now targets third-party apps. The YouTube ad blocker crackdown that began in 2023 is not yet over, and while the company already effected the changes against these kinds of services, it is now moving against third-party apps that provide this feature.