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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Technology
Josh Taylor Technology reporter

Australians may soon be able to download iPhone apps from outside Apple App Store under federal proposal

Apple App Store icon
The Australian government highlighted Apple’s in-app payment scheme as an example of the type of behaviour the competition regulator could target once a platform is designated under its proposal. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

Australians could soon be able to download apps outside the Apple App Store and avoid extra charges on purchases made on the iPhone under a federal government proposal, but the tech company has warned EU-style competition rules for apps risks security and may harm competition.

Australian users cannot subscribe to Netflix or Spotify through their iOS apps, while Google charges a premium on YouTube subscriptions through the App Store and Amazon does not let Kindle users buy ebooks through the app.

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