Apple makes an exception to its controversial rules for payments within its App Store. Where apps normally have to submit 30 percent of the paid amounts to the iPhone maker, this no longer applies to paid live streams on Facebook.
Payments within apps that have been downloaded from Apple’s appstore should always be handled through that tech giant’s own payment system. The internal tax rate is 30 percent. For Facebook, Apple is now making the exception, because “many entrepreneurs have to move physical meetings to the digital”. The social media giant developed a service this summer, for example, to provide online courses or yoga training.
Also for ClassPass, which since the COVID-19 allows online training and fitness lessons, an exception has been made. Apple did the same for Airbnb.
More and more criticism
Apple is becoming target for critics because of the mandatory use of its expensive payment system within the App Store. The creator of video games Epic Games, developer of Fortnite and other popular games, recently went to court for alleged abuse of power by Apple. In August, Apple removed Fortnite from its App Store because it had its own payment system for mobile players.
This week, Epic Games was using a different route to push Apple. Together with other organizations, including Spotify and an association for European news media, the company established an alliance for fairer practices within Apple’s App Store.
About the author: Matthew Johnson
Matthew Johnson, a small tech business owner retired and found his passion in journalism.
