Apple agrees to allow third-party app stores on iOS in Brazil following antitrust settlement

Apple has reached a settlement with Brazil’s antitrust regulator, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), that will require the company to open its iOS ecosystem to third-party app stores and alternative payment systems in the country. The agreement, approved on December 23, 2025, resolves a three-year investigation into alleged anticompetitive practices surrounding the App Store.
The settlement stems from a complaint filed in 2022 by MercadoLibre, Latin America’s le