Apple announces App Store changes in the EU

As an independent developer, I wish the EU would reverse their decision to make me either doxx myself or not have paid apps in the EU App Store. Thankfully, right now my only app is free so I can get away with saying that I'm not a trader.

I'll probably just have to bite the bullet and form an LLC with a rented address and phone number once I get ready to release a paid app, which unfortunately just increases my costs even more for what is most likely to remain just a small side hustle.

I still don't see a good reason why independent developers like me should have to publish their personal address and phone number on the App Store. I'm not willing to put my family in danger like that.

Can you elaborate? If you sell the app via a limited company do you have to doxx yourself personally?

> I still don't see a good reason why independent developers like me should have to publish their personal address and phone number on the App Store [for paid apps].

Because if someone purchases an app and there's a dispute with the product, they need a business address and/or phone number to contact and resolve the problem. It seems like a very good reason to me.

Probably fine to use a random BS address, until your app takes off enough to justify the LLC? Do they actually mail you anything?

>I'll probably just have to bite the bullet and form an LLC with a rented address and phone number once I get ready to release a paid app, which unfortunately just increases my costs even more for what is most likely to remain just a small side hustle.

This is actually still not a valid solution. You'll have to provide an address where you can be physically reached, even if you publish your app as an LLC (at least under German law). A "rented" address won't fulfill that criteria. If you run your LLC out of your personal home, you'll need to publish your personal address (again, under German law, it may be different in other EU countries).

This does make sense in principle, as it allows your customers to actually track you down in case they feel the need to sue you.

You might get away with listing the address of a co-working space, if you are actually physically present at that address during normal business hours.

You might also get away with listing your legal name and the address of your lawyer. But your lawyer would need to agree with this and you'd have to have an arrangement in place that they will represent you in any and all future cases, which might be difficult. This doesn't seem to be a settled question in german jurisprudence.

Also, you could just chance it. Not listing an address will simply result in potential exposure to a cease and desist letter, which (under German law) only results in limited financial liability. I am not a lawyer, so please get a professional to check, but if you are really serious about not exposing your personal address, it might be simpler and cheaper to run the low risk of a cease and desist instead of making a big fuss about an alternative address.

At least under German law, if you offer services or products for purchase, you need to provide an address where you can be physically reached. For self-employed entrepreneurs the only address that will fulfill that criterium is your private domicile.

The point is to have an avenue for recourse/accountability when the developer is not behaving.

German law is basically irrelevant unless you're in Germany. All that matters is what Apple makes App Store developers do, and Apple doesn't give a crap as long as you have some address and some phone number that Apple can verify.

Apple doesn't even police the "trader" self-declaration. I've seen several (scam) developers in the App Store who are clearly traders but have declared that they're not traders in the EU. Apple's compliance here is mostly perfunctory.

Where are you located? You can likely use Google Voice and a post office box rather than your home info.

The company can be reached at a rented address. That's the whole point of them. There is an agent at the address that can receive things like legal correspondence.

It appears Germany appears has similar services where you can get a virtual business addresses at business centers.

What's the recourse?

You've got a European consumer, a $5 App Store app, and some contact info in the United States, or some other country. What exactly do you think is going to happen in that situation?

The accountability for App Store developers is via Apple, not via some address and phone number. App Store consumers request a refund through Apple, or if there's some other problem with the developer, the consumers report it to Apple, who has the developer's contact info regardless of whether the developer is a trader in the EU.

The recourse is sometimes a lawsuit or criminal charges.

If your app say, defrauds someone and steals money from their bank account, then you as the developer are liable.

A refund of the app isn't going to cover it.

The lawyer could get a personal address from Apple if necessary in that scenario without publicly listing the individual developer’s home address.

> The recourse is sometimes a lawsuit or criminal charges.

Do you think a European consumer is going to successfully sue or prosecute someone on the other side of the globe from them?

> If your app say, defrauds someone and steals money from their bank account, then you as the developer are liable.

If an App Store app is defrauding consumers and stealing money from their bank accounts, then presumably Apple would get involved directly, like I already said. Going through Apple is the recourse and always has been.

Indeed you'd probably have better luck suing Apple itself rather than trying to sue some rando remote developer.

Under German law you need a “ladungsfähige” address, which a rented address is explicitly not. You need to be physically present at that address as a person.

I literally decided not to serve the German market so I could get away with not having to deal with German regulations

Odd. These services appear to be offering a ladungsfähige address where there is someone physically present to do things like receive legal correspondence.

Are they simply lying?

https://impressum-privatschutz.de/