Forced to open its App Store to competition, Apple would still like to keep its juicy commission, even on applications from third-party sources.
This should greatly displease the European Commission. Apple, which will soon “split” its App Store in two to comply with new European regulations, has a tactic for releasing the minimum amount of ballast on its software ecosystem. According to the Wall Street Journal, the firm would like to charge commissions on all transactions carried out on iPhone and iPad, even if software was installed from a source other than the App Store.
Enough to exasperate the development teams….
Headwinds against the DMA which shakes up the unparalleled domination of the App Store, the company will therefore try to keep its precious source of income (which constitutes a good part of the 22.3 billion dollars in revenue generated by its activity of “services” in the third quarter of 2023), even if it means getting angry with Brussels and most application developers.
Already forced to open its application store to third-party payment methods, the iPhone manufacturer has decided, despite everything, to take a 27% commission on these transactions, even if they do not go through the company’s payment method. the App Store. Enough to exasperate many development teams, including those at Epic Games who have fought for years to loosen the hold that Apple exercises over its mobile ecosystem.
…. and the European Union
No doubt Apple would dream of applying the same rate to applications installed outside the App Store. However, as European legislation specifies, access to application stores other than the App Store must be done according to “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory conditions of access“. Not sure that Brussels considers that the iron fist employed by Apple on the subject meets these conditions.
Charging a commission on transactions just because they have the audacity to be made on an operating system controlled by Apple would be equivalent to Microsoft asking 27% of the amount of all the purchases you make from your Windows software.
The tactic considered by Apple is not yet official. No doubt the firm is simply testing the limits of the DMA before becoming wise again. Remember that the text provides for fines of 10 to 20% of global turnover in the event of non-compliance with the agreements. Enough to generously replenish the EU coffers if Apple plays stupid.
Source : Wall Street Journal
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