Microsoft's Sarah Bond Criticizes Apple's New EU Policy as Misguided

Sarah Bond, Xbox's president, has expressed her disapproval of Apple's recent changes to its iOS policy, which aims to comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act. According to Bond, the new policy is a backward step. Although Apple is now allowing third-party app stores on its mobile ecosystem as required by the DMA, it will be introducing a 17% commission fee on all transactions and a core technology fee of €0.50 for each install per year after the first million. Bond stated on X, "We believe that constructive conversations can drive change and progress toward more open platforms and increased competition. Apple's new policy is a step in the wrong direction, and we hope they will consider feedback and strive for a more inclusive future for everyone." Her comments were in response to a thread by Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, who described Apple's revised terms as a distortion and a low point. Ek criticized Apple, saying the company is trying to twist the situation and make it seem like the regulators are at fault, when in reality, it's about driving their own profits. This development comes after Apple announced that it would be opening up iOS to game streaming apps worldwide, a move that Microsoft had previously criticized.