I already contacted the DMA authorities and complained how this has an effect on German diabetes communities and they replied that I am not the first one who approaches them on this and they are already investigating it.

Google is just trying how far they can push this.

Excellent, I emailed them too but no reply yet. Yeah, given that we should be able to choose what app store to install, this seems wildly illegal.

Since Apples App Store is DMA compliant, the EU won't do anything against this far less restrictive change from Google.

Do you have any pointers on how to find the correct authority and reach out? I'd like to inform my EU audience.

Yes. From here: https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/contact-dma-team_en

https://www.eu-digital-markets-act.com/Digital_Markets_Act_A... Art 6 (4). Read it to the end. That's how.

I don't get what part of that your think enables them to deny access to third parties distributing their apps on alternate stores. If you're referring to the last paragraph, that very explicitly says that any such security must be an optional setting that is not default. So unless users opt into verified only apps, Google can't force that, according to the DMA.

Maybe not, but reading their blog posts about ADV next to the DMA text, that's certainly the angle they are trying. And it will be years if it ever comes to a court hearing.

And the setting is "optional", just do the 24h-waiting song and dance to change it, or use ADB. /s

This is arguably required by Article 30 of the EU Digital Services Act.

The same way Apple is allowed to do it presumably.

It's not.

Oh? I'm not familiar with any fines or ongoing cases against Apple in the EU over their implementation of alternative app store support.

Why would they get a fine for complying? You can install alternative app stores on iPhone perfectly well.

Apple also still requires all apps that go through their app store to be signed through their mechanism and retains the same ability to banish them.

Presumably not for apps in alternative stores.

It applies equally to all apps regardless of what app store they are delivered through.