Epic Games·Spotify “Criticizes some app store fee discount policies”

Apple announced the App Store Small Business Program, which lowers app store fees from 30% to 15% for small and medium-sized app developers with revenues of less than $1 million, but Epic Games and Spotify made a statement criticizing it. Announced.

Epic Games is in a lawsuit with Apple over the case that the iOS version of Fortnite has been removed from the App Store after adding a direct purchase option that violates the App Store guidelines. Spotify has filed a lawsuit with regulators claiming that the 30% commission on the App Store is hindering fair competition. The two companies also formed The Coalition for App Fairness, an anti-app store tax alliance.

In the small business program announced by Apple earlier, according to sensor tower, a market research firm, iOS app developers, which account for 5% of last year’s app store revenue, are expected to be applied to an estimated 98%. It does not apply to large-scale app developers, such as Epic Games or Spotify, who express doubts about app store regulations.

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, said in a statement that the move is to be celebrated, but that Apple has again broken its promise to treat all developers equally while making a calculated move to divide app developers and maintain the app store and payment method monopoly. Pointed out. It also offers 15% special discounts to villainous capitalists and small indie makers like Amazon, saying that Apple is trying to get rid of critics while undermining competition and maintaining a 30% tax on most in-app purchases, but consumers still pay inflated prices with the Apple tax cut. Criticized that it would be.

Spotify also made a statement. He pointed out that Apple’s anti-competitive behavior threatens all iOS app developers, and this move shows that Apple’s App Store policy is arbitrary and fickle. Apple’s fees are overly discriminatory, but apps like Spotify are at a disadvantage compared to competing services as they maintain Apple’s own payment system in the App Store and punish or outcast developers for not choosing it.

Next, ensuring that the market remains competitive is an important task. He added that he expects regulators to take urgent action to ignore Apple’s fraudulent accounting, protect consumer choices, ensure fair competition, and create an arena for fair competition for all.

In short, Apple is trying to keep the Apple tax at 30% by dividing the small and medium-sized app developers, who make up the majority by number, and major app makers that make more than 90% of revenue, and making the former allies.

However, from Apple’s point of view, it can also be argued that large-scale companies that generate most of their revenue have benefited from the App Store infrastructure and should bear a corresponding burden. In fact, in Epic Games and Fortnite lawsuits, Apple accused them of being a fee thief. However, according to this App Store Small Business Program policy, attention is focused on what kind of movement will be made in the future. Related information can be found here .