Several well-known names joined Taking a stand against Apple’s decision to charge for iOS payments made outside the App Store. Meta filed an amicus brief in the suit, along with Microsoft, X and Match Group reports. This lends some heavy weight to Epic’s case.
Apple was forced to enable third-party payments on iOS due to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and a court order in the US. He has to On iOS in the EU. The company takes up to 30 percent off App Store purchases. Perhaps fearing that it was about to lose a significant portion of the commission, Apple said it would take a fee of up to 27 percent when developers process purchases outside of the App Store.
This month is epic filed a petition District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers a In 2021, it ruled against Apple as part of a ruling in a case between the two companies. The decision forced Apple to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment systems.
However, the majority of Rogers’ decision was in Apple’s favor, and both companies appealed the decision all the way to the Supreme Court. But in January, the highest court of the United States . This means that Rogers’ permanent injunction against Apple stands, but Epic was not happy with Apple’s implementation of third-party payment changes.
The four companies supporting Epic’s petition argue that Apple’s fee for foreign payments effectively upholds the previous rules. “Apple’s Plan meets neither the letter nor the spirit of this Court’s mandate,” they said.
As X said, the 27 percent fee doesn’t give developers much incentive to connect with external payment methods. Microsoft working on , noted that Apple’s recent policy limits its ability to offer subscriptions and discounts to users. Match Group argued that Apple’s decision would affect many developers and users, and that it would hinder the court’s attempt to offer consumers competition on prices.
Meta charges more for this and more than it does on the web in its iOS apps. (The ad-free subscription is also more expensive in the company’s Android apps, as Google also cuts in-app payments). Meta states in its amicus brief that it should be able to direct users to other payment options for enhanced posts.
Apple claims to be complying with the court order. according to Journalcompany (reportedly The Ministry of Justice faced an antitrust case) says its current external link policies are important to protect user privacy and security. “Apple” was angry with him with a company may follow the letter of the law, but not its spirit.
For what it’s worth, Meta, Microsoft, X and Match Group filed their petition a day after the EU’s antitrust chief warned Apple about new fees it charges developers (and about Meta’s ad-free subscription). Margrethe Vestager said that developer feedback will be an important factor in whether the block invests in Apple, Meta, or any other company subject to DMA rules. He noted that he had received “quite a few” comments from third parties.
Meanwhile, Epic is set to debut and Android later this year. Company At the Game Developers Conference, he said the store will be cross-platform between mobile, PC and macOS. The company plans to charge mobile game developers the same 12 percent cut it gets from PC game sales.
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