Apple to add notarization, marketplace authorization and new payment choices for iOS apps in Brazil after CADE deal

Apple on Thursday announced changes to iOS app distribution and payments in Brazil, tying the updates to a recently reached agreement with the country’s competition regulator, the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE). The company said the plan creates additional pathways for developers while introducing protections intended to limit new fraud, malware, and privacy risks that could arise when apps and transactions move beyond Apple’s traditional review and payment controls.

Under the agreement, developers will be able to distribute iOS apps in Brazil through alternative app marketplaces other than the App Store. Apple said those alternative marketplaces must be authorized by Apple and meet ongoing requirements. The company also emphasized that apps downloaded outside the App Store will not receive the same protections as Apple App Review, which it described as a rigorous process designed to meet privacy and security standards.

To address that gap, Apple said it will apply a baseline review step called “Notarization” across iOS apps. Apple described Notarization as a mix of automated checks and human review focused on basic functionality and protections against serious threats such as known malware and viruses. Apple said Notarization is less comprehensive than the App Store’s App Review process, but is meant to reduce the most significant security exposure for users.

Apple also said the CADE-linked changes will expand payment methods available to Brazilian users. Within the App Store, Apple said developers can add an alternative payment processing method in an app and/or link users to a website to complete a transaction, while still presenting Apple In-App Purchase alongside those alternatives so users can clearly see which channel they are using.

The company said when users select Apple In-App Purchase, they retain familiar protections such as refund support, subscription management, and tools like “Report a Problem.” It added that App Store users’ purchase history and subscription management will reflect only transactions made through Apple In-App Purchase. Apple warned that for apps using alternative payment processing or web-based transactions, it will be unable to issue refunds and will have less ability to support users facing problems such as scams or fraud.

To support the changes, Apple said it is sharing updated business terms for iOS apps in Brazil. It stated that for the sale of digital goods and services, Apple will continue to charge a commission and that the new terms include commission levels “the same or less” than developers pay today. Apple said developers who do not sell digital goods and services will continue not to pay commissions or fees.

Apple’s release also highlighted that the shift in distribution and payments could increase risks for children. It pointed to the fact that apps obtained outside the App Store will not be subjected to the same review bar, and it said that content not allowed on the App Store could become available in alternative marketplaces. Apple cited examples from other regulatory changes, including Europe and Japan, that it said enabled app categories previously unavailable on iOS, including pornography apps.

To preserve safeguards for minors, Apple said developers must continue to provide age ratings for their apps whether distributed on the App Store or alternative marketplaces. It also described parental-control tools it says can help manage exposure, including child accounts, web content filters, app restrictions, monitoring through Screen Time, and Family Sharing, as well as Communication Safety and Communication Limits.

Apple said developers can begin integrating the new capabilities “beginning today as part of iOS 26.5,” and directed developers to its Apple Developer Support materials for technical details on distributing through authorized alternative marketplaces and supporting the payment options. The company said it will continue engaging with regulators on strengthening protections for iOS users, while acknowledging that the safeguards do not eliminate the new risks created by the broader set of choices.