Apple & Google's App Store monopoly, crushing potential competitors with exploitative fees

guest · Oct 7, 2020

App Store gives Apple ‘monopoly power’ over iOS apps, US House antitrust report says [U: Apple responds]
October 6, 2020
https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/06/app-...over-ios-apps-us-house-antitrust-report-says/

First reported by CNBC, the nearly 450-page document shared by House Democrats reveals their takeaways based on hearings, interviews, and 1.3 million documents analyzed during this period. The committee recommends major changes in antitrust law as they believe giant technology companies are taking advantage of their “monopoly power” to prevent competition.

The report argues that Apple has been taking advantage of how apps are distributed on iOS devices to reduce competition with its services.
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Apple has responded to the Democratic Subcommittee on the U.S. House Judiciary recommendations:

[...] The App Store has enabled new markets, new services and new products that were unimaginable a dozen years ago, and developers have been primary beneficiaries of this ecosystem. Last year in the United States alone, the App Store facilitated $138 billion in commerce with over 85% of that amount accruing solely to third-party developers. Apple’s commission rates are firmly in the mainstream of those charged by other app stores and gaming marketplaces. [...]
Apple is expected to provide a more extensive response to today’s report in the coming days. The company highlights that the App Store has allowed developers to reach users all over the world with its apps, which now has about 1.8 million apps available.

A survey by Analysis Group revealed that the App Store generated in 2019 $519 billion in revenue globally, of which $138 billion was just from the U.S.
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guest · Oct 8, 2020

ProtonMail CEO likens Apple’s App Store practices to ‘Mafia extortion’
October 8, 2020
https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/08/protonmail-says-app-store-practices-mafia-extortion/

Before Epic Games’ battle with Apple over App Store rules, the new email service and iOS app HEY fought with the company about the same issues including in-app purchases. In a new report from The Verge today, ProtonMail’s CEO has come forward and shared his account of working with Apple over the last few years, comparing the company’s business practices to “Mafia extortion.”

Yen also believes Apple’s App Store practices are harmful for privacy-focused apps:

Yen argues that Apple’s 30 percent cut is actually hurting privacy-centric apps — because it’s tough to compete with Gmail when you have to charge a fee for your service and you’re also being taxed.
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ProtonMail is notably part of the Coalition for App Fairness that recently launched to put antitrust pressure on Apple and is spearheaded by Epic, Spotify, and Tile. Microsoft also aligned itself with that group today as it condemned Apple’s App Store approach while detailing how it will do things differently.

While there are certainly developers who still feel like they can’t speak up against Apple, more and more are sharing their concerns publicly. Here’s another account The Verge heard:

Following my conversation with ProtonMail’s CEO, another developer who’d been forced to abruptly add in-app purchases also told me she wasn’t willing to risk removing IAP quite yet, partly because the rules aren’t clear enough, and partly because of the arbitrary nature of Apple’s review.

“Even if it got approved, there’d be no guarantee that another reviewer in the future wouldn’t interpret the rules differently and reject the app, and force us to implement IAP all over again,” says Belle Cooper, co-developer of behavior-tracking app Exist.io. [...]
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guest · Oct 9, 2020

Microsoft hits out at Apple with its new Windows app store policies
Microsoft piles on the pressure for Apple to change its policies
October 8, 2020
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/8/21507682/microsoft-apple-app-store-policies-principles-list

Microsoft is making some firm commitments to the future of app stores on Windows today. The software giant has published 10 principles it’s adopting as promises to app developers, including that it won’t block competing stores on the platform or block specific business models an app may use to make money.

The principles also cover Microsoft holding its own apps to the same standards as competing apps and a commitment to “charge reasonable fees” that are reflective of rival app stores on Windows. Microsoft also says it won’t block apps on Windows based on a developer’s choice of in-app payment systems.
These new principles are a clear response to app store issues surrounding both Apple and Google — in particular, Epic Games’ ongoing legal battle with Apple.
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There is also growing concern from developers over Apple’s App Store policies that many believe restrict competition. Spotify, Epic Games, Tile, Match, and others have been rallying fellow developers against Apple, calling for “a level playing field for app businesses” and to provide freedom of choice on Apple devices.

The European Commission [...] labeling Apple a “monopoly” due to its control of iOS and iPadOS software.

“In the absence of competition, Apple’s monopoly power over software distribution to iOS devices has resulted in harms to competitors and competition, reducing quality and innovation among app developers, and increasing prices and reducing choices for consumers,” reads the report.
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guest · Oct 9, 2020

mood said: ↑

App Store gives Apple ‘monopoly power’ over iOS apps, US House antitrust report says [U: Apple responds] October 6, 2020
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Former App Store exec testifies Apple's rules are "a weapon against competitors"
October 8, 2020
https://www.techspot.com/news/87038-former-app-store-exec-testifies-apple-rules-weapon.html

A hot potato: A former Apple executive says the Cupertino tech giant uses its "arbitrary" App Store policies "as a weapon" to restrict competition. He points to Apple Arcade as just one example of how the company allows its own subscription services while denying similar models like Xbox Game Pass.

Apple Arcade is a subscription service that gives users instant access to hundreds of games for one monthly fee.
Yet those platforms are not allowed. According to Apple, they are permitted, but the hoops these services have to jump through to get approved are cumbersome to the point that it makes getting them on the store impractical at best and impossible at worst.

Having to submit games individually is not only a hugely inefficient process, it defeats the purpose of the game streaming model. It is easy to see the mountains red tape created by these rules, which is why Shoemaker testified that the guidelines are used "as a weapon against competitors."
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"We have always said that scrutiny is reasonable and appropriate, but we vehemently disagree with the conclusions reached in this staff report with respect to Apple," a spokesperson said. "Our company does not have a dominant market share in any category where we do business … [...]"

Microsoft believes these are just excuses. It criticized Apple's rules last month saying they create "a bad experience for customers." In what seemed to be another jab at its rival, Microsoft laid out 10 new guidelines (principles) for its store that allow just about everything that Apple does not.
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guest · Oct 9, 2020

mood said: ↑

Microsoft hits out at Apple with its new Windows app store policies October 8, 2020
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ProBeat: Google should have picked Microsoft’s app store principles over Apple’s
October 9, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/10/09/probeat-google-microsoft-apple-app-store-principles/

Microsoft this week outlined a list of 10 principles for the Microsoft Store on Windows in a not-so subtle jab at Apple and Google. The overall message: Microsoft supports Epic Games in its war with Apple and Google over the 30% cut the companies take of every purchase on the iOS App Store and the Google Play store, respectively.

Last week, Google doubled down on its stance by saying that a) Android supports different app stores (unlike iOS) and that b) Google would enforce its 30% cut on digital items (like Apple does).
Since there’s no way Apple is going allow third-party app stores on iOS, Google decided to present Android as the lesser of two evils to ensure it could keep printing cash.
That gamble could very well pay off, but Google should have taken the “don’t be evil” route and adopted Microsoft’s stance first.

I think it’s often lost on most people why the 30% tax is so massive. In addition to the sticker price of an app or game, the tax encompasses every single transaction that happens inside of every Android/iOS app and game, from subscription fees down to every digital coin and virtual item.
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Here is this week’s Microsoft rule, rewritten for Google:

We will not block an app from Android based on a developer’s choice of which payment system to use for processing purchases made in its app.
And here is what Google wrote instead last week:

We only collect a service fee if the developer charges users to download their app or they sell in-app digital items, and we think that is fair.

Dear Google, you’ve confused fairness with greediness. And now it’s too late to save face. You drew a line in the sand separating yourself from Apple, but Microsoft drew a circle around the two of you and jumped in the water with Epic.
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guest · Oct 10, 2020

Epic judge permanently restrains Apple from blocking Unreal Engine, but won’t force Fortnite
Apple won’t be forced to bring Fortnite back to the App Store
October 9, 2020
https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/9/...apple-lawsuit-restraining-order-unreal-engine

Fortnite won’t be coming back to the App Store any time soon. On Friday, Judge Yvonne Gonzales Rogers refused to grant Epic Games a preliminary injunction against Apple that would force the game developer to reinstate Fortnite on the App Store, while simultaneously granting an injunction that keeps Apple from retaliating against the Unreal Engine, which Epic also owns (PDF). In other words, we now have a permanent version of the temporary restraining order ruling from last month.

That means the state of affairs, in which Epic is banned from publishing new games on iOS and cannot distribute Fortnite on the App Store in its current form, will remain in place for the length of the trial — unless Epic decides to remove its own in-app payment mechanism that initiated the bitter legal feud in August.
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“Epic Games and Apple are at liberty to litigate this action for the future of the digital frontier, but their dispute should not create havoc to bystanders. Thus, the public interest weighs overwhelmingly in favor of Unreal Engine and the Epic Affiliates,” said the judge, keeping Epic’s Unreal Engine business from being harmed.

“Epic Games is grateful that Apple will continue to be barred from retaliating against Unreal Engine and our game development customers as the litigation continues,” an Epic spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to develop for iOS and Mac under the court’s protection and we will pursue all avenues to end Apple’s anti-competitive behavior.”
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guest · Oct 12, 2020

The ripple effect of the Epic Games v. Apple battle royale
October 11, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/10/11/the-ripple-effect-of-the-epic-games-v-apple-battle-royale/

The legal and public relations battle that Epic launched against Apple for delisting its app from their stores demonstrates a clear rebellion against the power of the platform that it once headlined.
Prepare to face the 30% fee for in-app purchases
When it comes to games, Apple will continue to put its foot down and demand its fee or place an extremely high logistical bar, but when consumers use the Airbnb app to book a stay or Uber/Lyft to book a ride, Apple doesn’t take 30% of that payment.

Nor does it charge 30% on top of a Walmart, Amazon, or takeout food order.
Apple says it’s because these are (mostly) tangible goods and services that are being used in the offline world, that is, not used in the app itself.
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Brand publisher or advertiser, both will face fallout from iOS 14 changes
The 30% cut for IAP is high – so high that many smaller developers that don’t have deep pockets like Epic Games will not make enough to survive without advertising as part of their revenue model. What used to be additive is now a core monetization practice.
You must play by Apple and Google’s rules, even if they change
Previously, Apple was the voice of the developer; most app publishers were even Apple fanboys who thought the platform could do no wrong. Those days are now gone, and many developers believe that Apple’s garden has grown beyond their ability to transparently manage it – and that it costs too much to play in that garden.
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Monopoly (or duopoly) argument aside, it now stands that anyone who has an app, whether you are a large gaming company like Epic, a small, independent app developer or a Fortune 500 brand, must be more aware of the terms of service of the app stores, and abide by them.
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guest · Oct 16, 2020

Why Apple’s App Store Is Under Siege
October 16, 2020
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/apple-app-store-practices-1234806416/

Amid the growing outcry against Big Tech’s anticompetitive practices, Apple’s enormously lucrative App Store could be one of the first fortresses to fall.
In 2019, the App Store generated an estimated $50 billion in gross sales — and Apple kept $15 billion of that. Now the App Store, which is the only way to get iOS apps for Apple mobile devices, is in the crosshairs of app developers, lawmakers and regulators over its virtual monopoly.

At the front of the anti-App Store phalanx: Epic Games, creator of massively popular battle royale game “Fortnite.”
Apple is “flexing its enormous power in order to impose unreasonable restraints and unlawfully maintain its 100% monopoly over the iOS In-App Payment Processing Market,” Epic said in the lawsuit.
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“I think Epic will put together a tough fight, but it’s hard to imagine they will come out with a strong win,” says Harvard’s Wu. That doesn’t mean it will be for naught: If Apple and Epic reached a settlement that lets “Fortnite” avoid the Apple in-app payment mandate, it could be just as big a victory.
For now, companies including Netflix and Spotify avoid the 30% cut by simply preventing users from paying for subscriptions through their iOS apps.

If app makers like Epic and Spotify band together to boycott the App Store, she says, “maybe that will make Apple think twice about the percentage fee it charges.”
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guest · Oct 21, 2020

mood said: ↑

To Fight Apple and Google, Smaller App Rivals Organize a Coalition
Spotify, Match Group, Epic Games and others have created a nonprofit alliance
September 24, 2020
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/technology/apple-google-coalition-epic-match-spotify.html
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Coalition’s Voice Grows Louder, More Than Doubling in Size Since Launch
October 2020
https://appfairness.org/coalition-voice-grows-more-than-doubles/

The Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) was created with a simple goal – to advocate for reforms that level the playing field within the app stores and preserve consumer choice. In a few short weeks, we’ve attracted the attention of gatekeeper platforms, regulators and lawmakers, app and game developers, as well as consumers around the world.

Today we are thrilled to announce our newest partners in this fight: [...]
Our membership is diverse and reflects the global nature of the app economy.
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Some of these companies are speaking up for the very first time, and here’s what they’re saying:

“As an energetic upstart we were confronted with numerous obstacles created by Apple which stalled progress, impacted our bottom line and, quite simply, created an immense amount of frustration.” – Imagine BC

“Apple has repeatedly denied the submission of our App due to weird and inconsistent rules. We’ve been denied based on reasons that they applied to us, but other competitors were allowed.” – Passbase

“We had to shut down our 7-year-old company, which was the #4 social app in the US in July because Apple decided to remove our app without a clear explanation. We shared our full story here.” – Eristica
Apple must be held accountable for its anticompetitive behavior. We’re committed to creating a level playing field and fair future, and we’re just getting started.
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guest · Oct 25, 2020

Epic argues Apple has 'no rights to the fruits' of its labor in 'Fortnite' filing
October 24, 2020
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...to-the-fruits-of-its-labor-in-fortnite-filing

Apple's claims of theft in Epic's lawsuit against the company over App Store rules have been argued against by the game developer once again, with a Friday filing putting forward the idea that Epic didn't "steal" anything from Apple at all.

The lawsuit covers a number of topics, but largely boils down to whether Epic should be allowed to take payments related to the iOS game through its own payment mechanism, bypassing the App Store's own transaction system that Apple mandates apps like "Fortnite" must use. Apple tossed "Fortnite" from the App Store, prompting a lawsuit from Epic that triggered the whole affair.
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In its response, spotted by The Verge, Epic enters an argument that its actions are a "far cry from the tortious - even purportedly criminal - conduct that Apple's Opposition depicts."

"Simply put, Epic did not 'steal' anything that belonged to Apple. Epic could not and did not 'steal' the proceeds from the sales of its own creative efforts. Nor did Epic interfere with any prospective economic advantage Apple sought to gain from 'Fortnite' users separate and apart from their interest in 'Fortnite," the filing claims.
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guest · Oct 30, 2020

Apple warns investors that reducing App Store fees would affect revenue
October 30, 2020
https://9to5mac.com/2020/10/30/appl...reducing-app-store-fees-would-affect-revenue/

As some developers are pushing Apple to reduce or even remove the App Store commission, the company has now alerted its investors that a potential change in App Store fees would affect its financial results. Bloomberg reported that the warning was sent to Apple investors in a regulatory filing this Friday.

Since the App Store was introduced in 2008, Apple has charged developers a 30% fee for each sale made within its online store — this includes apps and in-app purchases. Developers have been asking Apple to reduce App Store fees in recent years as they consider it too expensive.
Here’s what the company said:

If the rate of the commission that the company retains on such sales is reduced, or if it is otherwise narrowed in scope or eliminated, the company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
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At least for now, Apple clearly has no plans to reduce App Store commission for developers.
The company yesterday announced the fourth fiscal quarter 2020 results with revenue of $64.7 billion and $12.67 billion in profit.
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guest · Oct 31, 2020

Why Nordic publishing giant Schibsted joined the coalition lobbying for Apple App Store ‘fairness’
October 29, 2020
https://digiday.com/media/why-nordi...lition-lobbying-for-apple-app-store-fairness/

Nordic publishing giant Schibsted became one of 20 new members of the recently formed Coalition for App Fairness earlier this month.

The group was founded in September by a group of influential app publishers including Fortnite owner Epic Games, online dating company Match Group and streaming platforms Spotify and Deezer. Its stated aim is to apply pressure on app store owners — but principally Apple — to stop what it alleges are uncompetitive practices, such as charging publishers a 30% fee for in-app purchases.

“What is really apparent now is that these gatekeepers, such as Apple, are really becoming private regulators,” said Petra Wikström, Schibsted director of public policy.
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When we have an app in the App Store and want to sell something within the app — an in-app purchase — Apple requires us to use their in-app payment system. Before we could use a credit card or other [payment services like] Klarna.
Apple started to force this some years back. What we then realized is some of our newspapers implemented in-app purchases because they were afraid of being blocked from the App Store — that was the threat.

Also in the Nordics … just above 50% of everyone with a smartphone has an iPhone, which makes Apple much bigger here than in most other markets.
The person who buys a subscription becomes a customer of Apple.
For a newspaper, losing the customer relationship with your reader is really quite problematic.
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Apple is the reason for it being created, but I think definitely Google is going to be [a focus.]

Now with Google coming out and saying … in a blog post published some weeks ago: We will also start taking 30% and require this, that and the other — of course it’s something we need to look at. We haven’t really seen enough of Google’s behavior yet, at least from Schibsted’s point of view.
For us, Google is extremely important. If Google starts enforcing similar fees then that would be the end of it for our app business.
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guest · Nov 11, 2020

Federal Judge Dismisses Some Claims by Apple in Fight Against Epic Games
November 11, 2020
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-new...e-claims-by-apple-in-fight-against-epic-games

A federal judge in California late on Tuesday dismissed some of Apple Inc's counterclaims against Epic Games, in a dispute that has seen the online game maker's "Fortnite" game removed from the iPhone maker's App Store.

Epic in October had filed a motion in advance of Tuesday's hearing, seeking the dismissal of Apple's counterclaims of intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and conversion, where in Apple had asked for lost App Store fees and other monetary damages.

"It is hereby ordered that the application of John I. Karin is granted," U.S. district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said in the Tuesday filing, referring to the application by the lawyer for Epic.
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"You can't just say it's independently wrongful," Bloomberg quoted https://bloom.bg/3pgZDlx the judge as saying to a lawyer for Apple, referring to Epic's conduct. "You actually have to have facts," the judge said, adding that the rest of the breach-of-contract case moves forward.
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stapp · Nov 18, 2020

Apple is halving the commission it takes from the sale of apps and virtual goods sold within them from many of the smaller developers using its stores.
From January, any existing app-maker who earned $1m (£830,000) or less from Apple's marketplaces in 2020 will only have to give up a 15% cut in 2021.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-54985971

guest · Nov 18, 2020

Apple’s biggest App Store critics are not impressed with its new fee cut for small developers
November 18, 2020
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/18...y-apple-app-store-fee-cut-reduction-criticize

Epic Games and Spotify, united in their fight against Apple, each released statements on Wednesday slamming the iPhone maker following news of its new App Store fee reduction for developers making less than $1 million per year.

“By giving special 15 percent terms to select robber barons like Amazon, and now also to small indies, Apple is hoping to remove enough critics that they can get away with their blockade on competition and 30 percent tax on most in-app purchases,” Sweeney continued. “But consumers will still pay inflated prices marked up by the Apple tax.”
Spotify released its own statement, calling the App Store rules “arbitrary and capricious,” regardless of this recent change and citing antitrust arguments against Apple’s long-standing policy of requiring developers use its own payment system instead of one of their own or a third party’s: [...]
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Hansson’s thread is lengthy and searing, but the central point he makes is that Apple is still charging a large sum of money for App Store services Hansson does not believe justify the cost.
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guest · Nov 24, 2020

Google delays Play Store commission fee increases in South Korea after facing backlash
Google has delayed an update for its in-app purchasing policy
November 24, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/googl...creases-in-south-korea-after-facing-backlash/

Google has delayed the implementation of a new policy that would have seen it charge higher commission fees to South Korean developers for sales made through the Play Store.

With the new policy, the company had planned to expand its 30% commission fee so it would be applicable to all digital content, such as local music and digital comic apps, which are popular in South Korea. Currently, Google only requires gaming apps downloaded from the Play Store in South Korea to pay the 30% commission fee for purchases that are made within apps.
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Since the policy was announced in September, Google has faced backlash from lawmakers and local developers. On Monday, 14 lawyers representing developers filed a lawsuit against Google to South Korea's Fair Trade Commission on claims that the policy change would violate local anti-trust laws.

While Apple already charges a 30% commission for all in-app purchases in South Korea, the Android operating system is overwhelmingly popular compared to iOS in South Korea.
According to market research firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung has a 72.3% market share for smartphones in South Korea, while LG has 9.6%, and Apple has just 8.9%.
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Last week, Apple announced that it would reduce the commission fees on its App Store from 30% to 15% for app developers that generate less than $1 million starting next year.
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guest · Nov 30, 2020

Apple's App Store commission cut applies to about 98% of developers
November 30, 2020
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...mission-cut-applies-to-about-98-of-developers

Apple's new App Store program that cuts in-app purchase commission rates to 15% will apply to the overwhelming majority of all iPhone, iPad, and Mac app developers, data shows.

The App Store Small Business Program slashes Apple's cut of in-app transactions to 15% for developers paid less than $1 million by Apple in 2019. That rate is also post-commission, meaning it's after Apple takes its cut.
According to app data and analysis company AppFigures, that threshold means that the program applies to more than 98% of the developers making money on the App Store.
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Those 376,000 apps belong to about 124,500 developers. Of those, a little under 2% actually made more than $1,000,000 in 2019, according to AppFigures' app intelligence platforms.

"That means that roughly 98% of all developers that can make money in the App Store as of right now will qualify for the program, which opens in 2021 and keep more revenue in their pocket instantly," AppFigures' Ariel Michaeli wrote.
In other words, as some financial analysts have pointed out, the program applies to the vast majority of developers.
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"This move is truly a win-win for Apple. In a single swing, Apple managed to make almost every developer in the ecosystem happy, potentially fend off a set of anti-trust lawsuits, and give developers more incentive to stay with Apple," Michaeli wrote.
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guest · Dec 5, 2020

Apple Now Letting Developers Enroll for Reduced 15% App Store Fees
December 3, 2020
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/12/03/apple-developers-app-store-small-business/

Apple in November announced a new App Store Small Business Program that lowers App Store fees for small business owners and independent developers to 15 percent, down from the standard 30 percent. The program is set to launch on January 1, 2021, and as of today, eligible developers are able to sign up.

The program is open to all developers who earn less than $1 million from the ‌App Store‌ in a calendar year, which applies to 98 percent of developers, according to a recent analysis.
When initially announcing the program, Apple promised to provide developers with more information, and has today done so through the ‌App Store‌ Small Business Program website. The site walks through the basics of how it works, answering questions about eligibility, app transfers, payouts, and more.
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It also says that app transfers are not allowed while participating in the program. Any app transfer initiated after December 31, 2020 makes a developer ineligible to participate in the program.
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guest · Dec 12, 2020

Apple hit with another App Store lawsuit
December 11, 2020
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/apps/news-apps/apple-hit-with-another-app-store-lawsuit

Software company Cydia filed a lawsuit against Apple accusing it of engaging in anti-competitive practices to maintain a monopoly over iOS app distribution, adding to growing criticism of the iPhone maker’s practices.

In court documents, Cydia stated it was the first to offer users a marketplace where they could obtain third-party applications on iPhones, but alleged Apple progressively worked to “stamp out competition” following the introduction of its App Store in 2008.
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Cydia also blasted Apple’s requirement for developers to use its payment processing system and the 30 per cent commission on in-app purchases.
The company concluded Apple deprived rivals “of the ability to compete with the App Store and to offer developers and consumers better prices” services and choice.

Apple told Reuters it does not have a monopoly over any market.
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The company is already fighting a legal battle with Epic Games over its App Store policies, which are also under scrutiny by regulators in Europe, the US, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
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guest · Dec 23, 2020

Apple begins notifying eligible developers of App Store rate cut
December 23, 2020
https://appleinsider.com/articles/2...ing-eligible-developers-of-app-store-rate-cut

Developers who qualify for Apple's definition of a small business, and who applied in time, are now starting to be notified that they are on the new App Store Small Business Program.

Following Apple's announcement of halving its App Store commission for developers earning under $1 million annually, qualifying companies are now being notified. Apple repeats certain conditions but also says that it will cut its commission rate to 15% from January 1, 2021.
It's estimated that some 98% of app developers are eligible for the Small Business Program, but they had to apply for it by December 18.
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Very happy to hear that we got accepted to Apple Small Business Program. It is an encouraging move from Apple. They decreased the commission rate from 30% to 15%. pic.twitter.com/6aqOWQICoN
— Ahmet Serdar Karadeniz (@aserkaradeniz) December 23, 2020
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guest · Dec 25, 2020

Apple’s Decreased 15% Commission Rate on the App Store for Small Businesses Now Rolling Out
December 15, 2020
https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/apple/apple-15-commission-rate-small-businesses-rolling-out/

In November, Apple announced that it would be reducing the total commission it takes from small businesses making up to $1 million USD per year. Down from its standard 30% commission rate, small businesses eligible for Apple’s App Store Small Business Program will only be charged 15%. It now appears as though it is taking effect for some developers early.

As reported by MacRumors, Hodge took to Twitter to show the decreased commission rate using the ChartMogul data dashboard.
Other smaller business developers have been vocal on social media including indie game developer for iOS BovioSoft Games. The studio posted an elated reaction to Apple cutting its commission rate in half.

Nice gift from Apple:15% comission now in effect! #Apple #AppStore
— BovioSoft Games (@boviosoft) December 25, 2020
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stapp · May 3, 2021

After months of hype and warring words, Epic Games is about to get its day in court with Apple.

The trial begins on Monday - and is one of the most important in Apple's history.

Apple boss Tim Cook will be giving evidence, the first time he's given testimony at a trial.

At stake is the future of the App Store and the amount it charges developers - a wildly lucrative money spinner for the company.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56959938

guest · Jul 20, 2021

Coalition for App Fairness: Apple is Using Subpoenas to Punish Opponents by Prying Into Confidential Communications
July 19, 2021
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/07/19/coalition-for-app-fairness-quash-apple-subpoenas/

Apple has filed a subpoena against the Coalition for App Fairness, requesting details on their communications as Apple fights a series of antitrust lawsuits. The Coalition for App Fairness comprises several companies who have been critical of Apple's App Store rules and fees, including Epic Games, Spotify, Deezer, Tile, and Match Group.

Members of the Coalition for App Fairness earlier this month filed a lawsuit (via Apple Insider) attempting to prevent Apple's subpoenas from being approved. The Coalition for App Fairness is afraid that Apple will use those private communications to retaliate against coalition members.
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Apple is seeking a "host of documents and communications," such as formation documents, activities, meeting minutes, recruitment efforts, membership lists, financing, communications between coalition members and potential members, and communications between coalition members and any foreign or domestic governmental entity or official relating to Apple.

The Coalition for App Fairness says that if the subpoenas are approved, it could "chill the candor" of member discussions and the "effectiveness of the Coalition's advocacy efforts."
Communications between coalition members are "irrelevant to the claims and defenses in the antitrust cases and are disproportional to the needs of the cases," according to the filing.
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guest · Jul 30, 2021

Elon Musk calls Apple’s App Store fees ‘a de facto global tax on the Internet’
July 30, 2021
https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/30/e...e-fees-a-de-facto-global-tax-on-the-internet/

Elon Musk is siding with Epic Games in the App Store monopoly case, with the Tesla CEO firing off a tweet Friday morning that called Apple’s Store fees “a de facto global tax on the Internet,” also adding that “Epic is right.”

Epic Games legal battle with Apple is sure to last years and the Fortnite maker has hardly been secretive about its aims to win the battle for popular opinion as well. Musk’s vote of confidence could hold sway with consumers who have yet to develop a clear opinion on the topic.
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What’s less clear is why Musk is taking up this issue right now. While Musk is rarely one to pass up offering an outside opinion on a contentious issue that doesn’t involve him, none of Musk’s current companies seem to be deeply affected by the fees from the App Store, though there certainly could be action happening behind the scenes.
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guest · Aug 11, 2021

Senate bill would stop Apple and Google’s complete control over in-app payments
The Open App Markets Act has bipartisan support.
August 11, 2021
https://www.engadget.com/bipartisan-open-app-markets-act-introduction-221732872.html

A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced legislation that seeks to reshape how app marketplaces operate in the US. Penned by Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, and co-sponsored by Amy Klobuchar, the chair of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, the proposed legislation would "prevent app stores from disadvantaging developers."

"The legislation would help create a more competitive app marketplace that will ignite innovation in the digital economy, and provide more options for American consumers," the Coalition for App Fairness said in a statement.
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You can be sure Apple and Google will lobby to soften the Open App Markets Act since it threatens the way they do business.
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Blumenthal, Blackburn & Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Antitrust Legislation to Promote App Store Competition

Apple & Google have gatekeeper control of the multi-billion dollar app economy, stifling competition & disadvantaging consumers
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