Apple · Apple App Store Review Guidelines · View original document ↗

Anti-Steering Prohibition

High severity Unique · 0 of 325 platforms
Share 𝕏 Share in Share 🔒 PDF
Monitor governance changes for Apple Create a free account to receive the weekly governance digest and monitor one platform for governance changes.
Create free account No credit card required.

This analysis describes what Apple's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The clause establishes differential purchasing direction policies across geographic markets, requiring apps to route transactions through Apple's in-app purchase system in most jurisdictions while permitting alternative purchasing mechanisms in the US storefront.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

In non-US App Store regions, users encounter apps restricted from displaying external purchase links or calls to action, channeling transactions through in-app purchase functionality. In the US storefront, this restriction does not apply and apps may direct users to alternative purchasing mechanisms.

How other platforms handle this

YouTube High

Chúng tôi cũng tắt tính năng kiếm tiền đối với những video vi phạm nguyên tắc về nội dung phù hợp với nhà quảng cáo và tạm ngưng tư cách tham gia Chương trình Đối tác YouTube của những nhà sáng tạo tái phạm.

DeepSeek High

You may use the Model Materials for commercial purposes. If the Monthly Active Users of your products or services developed using the Model Materials exceed one hundred million (100,000,000), you must request a license from DeepSeek, which DeepSeek may grant to you in its sole discretion.

eBay High

To protect eBay from risk of liability for your actions as a seller, eBay Payments Entities (as defined below) may restrict access to your funds as described in the Payments Terms of Use.

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

Apple has changed this document before.

Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 10 platforms.

Start Watcher free trial Or create a free account →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
In all other storefronts, except for the United States storefront, where this prohibition does not apply, apps and their metadata may not include buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms other than in-app purchase.

— Excerpt from Apple's Apple App Store Review Guidelines

Applicable regulations

DMA
European Union
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Entity
Apple
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 6, 2026
Last verified
April 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000221
Document ID
CA-D-00025
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
877541265fefdbebabcd1e30fe9651433f6b1dd3064ee4d811f9f9918e043f98
Analysis generated
March 6, 2026 20:15 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Apple
Document: Apple App Store Review Guidelines
Record ID: CA-P-000221
Captured: 2026-03-06 20:15:42 UTC
SHA-256: 877541265fefdbeb…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/apple/apple-app-store-review-guidelines/anti-steering-prohibition/
Accessed: May 20, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

Professional Governance Intelligence

Need to monitor specific governance provisions?

Professional includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.

Arbitration clauses AI governance Data rights Indemnification Retention policies
Start Professional free trial

Or start with Watcher →

Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Apple's Anti-Steering Prohibition clause do?

The clause establishes differential purchasing direction policies across geographic markets, requiring apps to route transactions through Apple's in-app purchase system in most jurisdictions while permitting alternative purchasing mechanisms in the US storefront.

How does this clause affect you?

In non-US App Store regions, users encounter apps restricted from displaying external purchase links or calls to action, channeling transactions through in-app purchase functionality. In the US storefront, this restriction does not apply and apps may direct users to alternative purchasing mechanisms.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Apple?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Apple.