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Meta, Microsoft, X and Match Join Epic Games in Protesting Fees for Non-App Store Purchase Links
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Apple is 100% the bully here and the EU is exactly what we need to stop Tim Crook. I thank god every day for the EU and their stepping up to the greedy giant. For example, Apple being forced to use USB-C, a long-time data/charging standard, is a huge victory and it put a big smile on my face watching Tim doubled over from that no-look kick between the legs from behind that was dealt by the EU. I think I saw his feet come off the ground. Keeping it coming EU. Need the DOJ to step in and deal a few good blows and bring Apple back to earth.
They should have a subscription or a one time fee for using the development tools just like Visual Studio or any commercial IDE out there.
But get millions from every install or in app purchase is just totally wrong. Unity tried this stuff too and they had too oust their CEO, fire hundreds of people and walk back on that because of developer rebellion.
Making the tools does not entitle you to bully developers. Especially when competition for the development tools is not allowed, which is why this whole discussion came from in the first place.
Apple can do what they want but in the EU they will bend eventually. They basically do 1000 things except the only thing that they have to for the law: stop gatekeeping and force everything to go through them. That is exactly the whole point.
Guess we'll get to see the reasoning for ourselves on whatever decision the court reaches.
Tim Apple: Protest is nothing, if you add a link for alternative payment, I will revoke it and ban you.
Maybe some of these companies can spend some of their money to buy ads letting people know to download app and sign up for account on their site
My streaming apps, Apple gets nothing from because they are subscribed to from the companies' web sites and not through the subscriptions on the app store
In addition, they demand the cow provide the milk for free !
That part shows why Apple is being the bad guy here because they are being flippant with the injunction which is that yes they will comply with the injunction but they are going to charge dev's to take advantage of the injunction.![]()
Meta, Microsoft, X, and Match today joined Epic Games to protest the way Apple complied with a court ruling requiring it to walk back its anti-steering rules. In an amicus brief in support of Epic Games (via The Wall Street Journal), the four companies said that the fees Apple is charging are too high, and that there are too many restrictions on how developers link to their websites. "The Apple Plan comports with neither the letter nor the spirit of this Court's mandate," reads the brief.
![app-store-blue-banner-epic-1.jpg]()
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Apple in January claimed that it was in full compliance with the injunction, and that it has given developers a way to inform customers about alternative purchase mechanisms both in their apps and outside of their apps.
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Apple will just come back and say 'Well, we are complying with the injunction but you never said we could not charge for it to be used'.
If the tesla car is any indicator, I'd love to see how bad an X phone would turn out
Then a link is really unnecessary, as Netflix is a household name!
The link out is there to provide an alternative payment processor, as the court ordered.
It’s not there to escape App Store commissions, as those are legal and agreed to by the developer.
If you don't like how Apple does business, walk the **** away from working with them. So sick of these whiny morons.
A link improves the usability of the App. It allows a user to sign up or re-subscribe if they have canceled the subscription in the past. Just because they already know about Netflix doesn't mean they shouldn't' be able to have a better user experience.
Legal is questionable given that all of these companies think they have a chance of fighting it.
Tim Sweeney is a dolt, tricking kids into paying for v-bucks and violating their privacy (per FTC, not just allegedly). They also really hurt Bandcamp, which was a great site for independent artists. They're a stain on the idea of fighting for the little guy, as they try to fill their pockets every chance they possibly can, rather than just making a good platform.
Microsoft, the company behind some of the most convoluted licensing schemes to rival Cisco, also doesn't get my sympathy.
Match... aren't they the same people behind Tinder and other dating apps? The ones that charge like $22/wk or something equally absurd? Oh man, these guys must be hurting so bad.
...and finally Meta, the company that needs your money on top of your data they siphon. Fantastic.
X is probably the only one actually struggling to make money, due to their cavalier and combative leadership. I swear if Elon chilled out a little, they'd make more money but eh...
All that said, I wish there were better companies out there making a stand for this, rather than the usual crowd trying to empty wallets. All I'm seeing right now is corporate bullies fighting over scraps though.
Microsoft, the company behind some of the most convoluted licensing schemes to rival Cisco, also doesn't get my sympathy.
Match... aren't they the same people behind Tinder and other dating apps? The ones that charge like $22/wk or something equally absurd? Oh man, these guys must be hurting so bad.
...and finally Meta, the company that needs your money on top of your data they siphon. Fantastic.
X is probably the only one actually struggling to make money, due to their cavalier and combative leadership. I swear if Elon chilled out a little, they'd make more money but eh...
All that said, I wish there were better companies out there making a stand for this, rather than the usual crowd trying to empty wallets. All I'm seeing right now is corporate bullies fighting over scraps though.
Meta, Microsoft, X, and Epic Games need to stop bitching and start investing in advertising to let it's user base aware of going to there website to purchase, then they be zero fee to Apple.
They basically wanting to sell there goods and advertise in Apple''s store redirecting it's customers to someone else's store for free.
One can't create a competing repair business say and start placing ads in other repair shops for free, hoping there customers see lower prices then walk out and goto this new comer.
They basically wanting to sell there goods and advertise in Apple''s store redirecting it's customers to someone else's store for free.
One can't create a competing repair business say and start placing ads in other repair shops for free, hoping there customers see lower prices then walk out and goto this new comer.
Man anybody tries to say anything positive about Apple and you get immediately hammered.
Ah yes, we can’t know everything that’s for sure!
What do we know in this case?
1. They installed Netflix from the App Store
2. They were not a Netflix customer
3. They want to sign up for Netflix
Not seeing any way to do this, they might open a browser and go to Netflix.com. Or they might swipe over to Instagram. Or they might…well you get the idea.
Under the new model, they will see a link that takes them to the Netflix sign up page in Safari. They are much more likely to sign up for Netflix.
For this REFERRAL to Netflix, they would owe Apple the App Store commission. But only if they actually sign up.
Sounds like a win.
Not really. The judge specifically said that Apple was able to collect it's commission in the ruling.
Those may be the only Developers protesting this. They are playing a bullying game, keep throwing arguments hoping something may stick on their favor.
There are so many other phones out there; the iPhone is not the only phone in the market, so there's no monopoly here.
The iPhone is Apple's baby; their baby, their rules. Don't like it, look somewhere else.
All 4 should be kicked out of the Developers Program if they are breaking the rules.
The rest of us are very happy with the Ecosystem and all the benefits it brings to us.
And that's besides the many users who wouldn't care a bit of the existence of a 3rd Party Store.
This is getting very boring.
There are so many other phones out there; the iPhone is not the only phone in the market, so there's no monopoly here.
The iPhone is Apple's baby; their baby, their rules. Don't like it, look somewhere else.
All 4 should be kicked out of the Developers Program if they are breaking the rules.
The rest of us are very happy with the Ecosystem and all the benefits it brings to us.
And that's besides the many users who wouldn't care a bit of the existence of a 3rd Party Store.
This is getting very boring.
At this point who is downloading the Netflix app because of Apple marketing? Who was ever downloading it because of Apple’s marketing? The reason you’re downloading it from the App Store is because that’s the only way to get apps on iOS.
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Their current 30% cut is ridiculous. It should be 90%.
Because Apple doesn't have enough money.
Exactly how are they making money off of Apple’s platform? There’s obviously a reason Apple doesn’t require they offer IAP and allows them to offer a non-functioning app for download. They didn’t allow Hey to do this so Hey had to offer something for free in order to stay on the App Store.
Apple simply didn‘t use the last decade to create new products and change its business model.
And people don‘t buy an iPhone simply because it is an iPhone - they buy it to run Instagram, WhatsApp, Tinder, TikTok and tons of different other Apps.
When Apple sells an iPhone it earns a margin of 30-40% and it could earn even more money by selling services like APNS, hosting, ApplePay, InAppPayment and much more - it just won‘t earn 30% of every transaction that happens on an iPhone.
And people don‘t buy an iPhone simply because it is an iPhone - they buy it to run Instagram, WhatsApp, Tinder, TikTok and tons of different other Apps.
When Apple sells an iPhone it earns a margin of 30-40% and it could earn even more money by selling services like APNS, hosting, ApplePay, InAppPayment and much more - it just won‘t earn 30% of every transaction that happens on an iPhone.
You know what would improve usability even more?
In App Purchase!
But Netflix doesn’t care about that as much as the $$$.
Their choice — just like the link out 🤷🏻♂