Meta is planning to allow users in the E.U. to download apps through Facebook ads in a move that will make the social network compete against Apple and Google app stores.
The new type of ads will be piloted with a handful of Android app developers later this year, a report from The Verge said.
The move comes as the company looks to make use of E.U.’s Digital Markets Act which requires mobile platforms to allow alternative methods to download apps. The Act will be force next year.
Meta’s pitch to developers participating in the pilot is that by hosting their Android apps and letting Facebook users download them directly without listing on app stores, developers will see higher conversion rates for their app install ads. Additionally, since Meta does not plan to take a cut of the in-app revenue from participating apps, developers can use whichever billing system they choose, the report said.
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While Android allows side-loading of apps, the process is often cumbersome with users having to find the apps and circumvent warnings from Google stating it cannot ensure the security of devices running apps downloaded from outside its app store. Apple meanwhile does not allow users to download and install apps from anywhere other than its own app store on iOS.
