New EU regulation protects App Store and Play Store developers from Apple and Google

The EU has enacted new regulations to protect developers operating in the App Store and Play Store from Apple and Google (let's be real here - that's who this is aimed at).

Platforms will have to provide 30 days notice to publishers before removing content from stores, allowing them time to appeal or make changes to their software. So no immediate and opaque bans (article 4).

The regulations (in article 5) will force stores to be more transparent in how their ranking systems work, letting publishers understand how trending' apps are being chosen for instance.

Article 7 follows similar themes, with storefronts having to disclose any differentiated treatment' it may give one seller of goods over another, which should put paid to any real (or imagined) preferential treatment for larger publishers - or at least make it clear to everyone how and when the playing field isn't even.

The rules also demand access to third party mediation in case of disputes. This seems like a set of reasonable rules that should've been in place ages ago.