Apple’s $100 million settlement agreement changes a key App Store rule for developers

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

A proposed agreement between Apple and a class-action lawsuit representing US app developers includes a $100 million payout from Apple. The settlement agreement also includes Apple's “clarifying” policies to explain that iOS developers can contact their customers, with permission, using information collected inside their apps to tell them about payment options outside the App Store. The change is a shift to the anti-steering policy that has been a big point of contention between Apple and its critics for years.

The change, while potentially important for developers, isn’t quite as significant as it may seem. In an update to the App Store Guidelines in June, Apple already changed its rules to allow developers to communicate with customers...