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Ordinarily I would be inclined to say that as a "private marketplace", Apple is entirely within its rights to selectively enforce rules (and whims) like this so

Ordinarily I would be inclined to say that as a "private marketplace", Apple is entirely within its rights to selectively enforce rules (and whims) like this so as to maximize their profit, but surely there must be a limit when about 45% of US smartphone users (so about 36% of the population) have an iPhone [1]? At this point this is no private dark pool, but a public market place, the transactions on which affect an unfathomable number of consumers, and Apple should and must be subject to the level of government regulation and oversight that governs other public market places like the NYSE and the CME. I suspect that this will come sooner or later, or otherwise these markets will be broken up entirely, but behavior like this from Apple only hastens this outcome. [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/236550/percentage-of-us-population-that-own-a-iphone-smartphone/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/236550/percentage-of-us-...

searchableguy 6y ago
I am surprised no one has mentioned the Amazon getting special treatment from apple on in-app purchases. https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/3/21206400/apple-tax-amazon-tv-prime-30-percent-developers https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/3/21206400/apple-tax-amazon-...
akersten 6y ago
I dislike the 30% IAP cut as much as the next developer, but what is it about perceived tech monopolies that bring out the hyperbolic comparisons? > Apple should and must be subject to the level of government regulation and oversight that governs other public market places like the NYSE and the CME. First it's Facebook should be treated as a Public-as-in-Government Square, and now the App Store should be governed like the stock market? I think Apple's morally in the wrong here. But the solution isn't just going to be just pulling some lofty regulation out of thin air and trying to re-apply it.
- Drew_ 6y ago
  > But the solution isn't just going to be just pulling some lofty regulation out of thin air and trying to re-apply it. That's exactly what the solution will be. Apple will eventually be responsible for ushering in regulation that kills software distribution monopolies like the App Store. It'll be an interesting new landscape to be in for a lot of markets.

searchableguy 6y ago

I am surprised no one has mentioned the Amazon getting special treatment from apple on in-app purchases. https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/3/21206400/apple-tax-amazon-tv-prime-30-percent-developers https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/3/21206400/apple-tax-amazon-...

akersten 6y ago

I dislike the 30% IAP cut as much as the next developer, but what is it about perceived tech monopolies that bring out the hyperbolic comparisons? > Apple should and must be subject to the level of government regulation and oversight that governs other public market places like the NYSE and the CME. First it's Facebook should be treated as a Public-as-in-Government Square, and now the App Store should be governed like the stock market? I think Apple's morally in the wrong here. But the solution isn't just going to be just pulling some lofty regulation out of thin air and trying to re-apply it.

Drew_ 6y ago
> But the solution isn't just going to be just pulling some lofty regulation out of thin air and trying to re-apply it. That's exactly what the solution will be. Apple will eventually be responsible for ushering in regulation that kills software distribution monopolies like the App Store. It'll be an interesting new landscape to be in for a lot of markets.