Apple has removed 135,000 apps from the App Store in the EU as a new law comes into force
In the last 2 days, Apple has removed more than 135,000 apps from its App Store in the European Union whose developers did not provide the required information about their trader status. This is due to the entry into force of the European Union's Digital Services Directive (DSA), which in Articles 30 and 31 requires app developers to provide information about their trader status in order to continue distributing apps in the EU.
Here's What We Know
Apple previously called on developers to provide trader status data by Monday, 17 February 2025. If they fail to do so, apps will be removed from the App Store. According to Appfigures, nearly 135,000 apps have been removed in the last 30 hours due to failure to fulfil the condition and this is the largest removal of apps since the platform's inception.
App traders who make money from downloads, in-game purchases or adverts must provide a phone number, email address and address associated with a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. Organisations must provide their phone, email and address associated with the DUNS number, and individual developers must provide their address, phone and email.
Deleted apps will remain hidden until their developers update their trader status through the App Store Connect platform.
Source: Apple
