Only hours ago, Apple announced a change in new app store rules For developers in the European Union, but Cupertino’s latest step is not please Tim Sweeny, CEO of the epic Games … at all.
As you know, there is an ongoing epic game versus apple scandal. It began in 2020 when Epic added a direct payment option to the Fortnite on iOS, bypassing 30% commission of Apple and violating the app store rules. Apple removed the game, motivated Epic, apple to apply app distribution and in-app payments of monopoly control.
In the following years, a judge ruled that Apple did not have a monopoly, but violated the California law by preventing developers from linking them with alternative payment methods. While most of the epic claims were rejected, the court upheld an prohibition, allowing the developers to run the external payment options to the developers.
Now, Apple has made major changes for how Apple works in the European Union to comply with the European Union’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA). Developers now have more freedom for promoting their apps, using multiple external links and outdoors for outdoors (these were previously restricted).
At the same time, Apple is introducing new fees, which includes 2% initial acquisition fees for new users and a split-tier system for store services, with 5% or 13% charging, which depends on the level of developers.
This is exactly what is made Tim Sweeny Early:
Image Source – X
In addition to calling the latest Apple Move “a malicious compliance plan”, which “is clearly illegal in both Europe and the United States and makes fun of fair competition”, Tim says that “Apple blocks auto-updates for these apps, discovers the handicaps, and blocks customer support and family distribution”:
Image Source – X
Tim Sweeny suggested that instead of indicating only flaws, it is important to offer the actual solution:
Image Source – X
They believe that the app store should introduce a complete set of facilities equally, without restrictions to the app store. Developers should have the freedom to decide how they handle the payment – whether Apple, their own system, or a mixture of both. Apple should only charge for services that are actually provided, without adding additional fees or punishment to use alternative options. According to Sweeni, this approach will create a healthy, more balanced system – similarly how things work on Windows and Mac – Mobile App Store to encourage innovation and development by reducing the dominance of monopoly monopoly.
Personally, I do not see an easy way out of it. Some regulators wave and threatened their finger on the apple, Apple says that it will see what it can do, then take action, but in their style, often rebuild the same thing and change the name that they used to push earlier. X users are joking that Apple can behave in the same way, just calling it with new names, such as “platform participation surcharge,” digital infrastructure tariff “, or” compulsory mutual prosperity fee “.
