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Facebook isn't a big enough player to get a free pass. Apple know they can bully Facebook and Facebook will back down (they have done this). Here's a few examp

Facebook isn't a big enough player to get a free pass. Apple know they can bully Facebook and Facebook will back down (they have done this). Here's a few examples of Apple selectively enforcing their rules. Apple agreed to charge Amazon a 15 percent fee instead of the standard 30 for subscriptions https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/30/21348108/apple-amazon-prime-video-app-store-special-treatment-fee-subscriptions https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/30/21348108/apple-amazon-pri... Apple allows WeChat include Mini Programs. These are 3rd party web pages the user can install that are tightly integrated with WeChat features. They're basically apps that run within WeChat. In my opinion this violates the app store premise BUT WeChat is so crucial to Chinese users Apple can't pull the app. So they bent and rewrote the rules to allow it. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1137321.shtml http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1137321.shtml But, when Facebook tried this with Facebook Gaming, which does something really similar to WeChat Mini Programs, they got banned by Apple. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/technology/apple-ios-facebook-gaming-app.html https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/technology/apple-ios-face... Apple allows Chinese customers to make app store purchases using WeChat Pay or Ali(baba) pay. Meanwhile in the US, it's impossible to pay using the competing Facebook pay / Google pay. https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-app-stores-chinese-customers-get-new-way-to-pay-for-purchases-1504078004 https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-app-stores-chinese-custom... There's also the Hey fiasco https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23542937 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23542937 and the Wordpress fiasco https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24238856 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24238856 . Meanwhile, Gmail and Netflix are unaffected.

grapefruit22 6y ago
I'm a bit confused on this point. What obligates Apple to treat all business partners the same?
- tristanj 6y ago
  Because that's what they told the US house antitrust committee. Apple CEO Tim Cook testified that “we [Apple] apply the rules to all developers evenly”. But that's clearly not true, looking at the examples listed above. The poster-child is Amazon, which only pays a 15% fee instead of 30%. Likewise, after Fortnite added an alternative payment option that avoids Apple's 30% tax, Apple banned not only Fortnite, but engine updates for all apps that use the Unreal Engine. That's the opposite of what Tim Cook told congress. > Epic Games also called out Apple on Tim Cook’s testimonial at the recent Congressional hearing. > “Just over two weeks ago, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was asked during a Congressional hearing whether Apple has “ever retaliated against or disadvantaged a developer who went public about their frustrations with the App Store”. Mr. Cook testified, “We do not retaliate or bully people. It’s strongly against our company culture.” But Apple has done just that,” it said in the statement. https://tech.hindustantimes.com/gaming/news/apple-continues-to-bully-epic-games-after-taking-down-fortnite-from-app-store-71597720893658.html https://tech.hindustantimes.com/gaming/news/apple-continues-...

grapefruit22 6y ago

I'm a bit confused on this point. What obligates Apple to treat all business partners the same?

tristanj 6y ago
Because that's what they told the US house antitrust committee. Apple CEO Tim Cook testified that “we [Apple] apply the rules to all developers evenly”. But that's clearly not true, looking at the examples listed above. The poster-child is Amazon, which only pays a 15% fee instead of 30%. Likewise, after Fortnite added an alternative payment option that avoids Apple's 30% tax, Apple banned not only Fortnite, but engine updates for all apps that use the Unreal Engine. That's the opposite of what Tim Cook told congress. > Epic Games also called out Apple on Tim Cook’s testimonial at the recent Congressional hearing. > “Just over two weeks ago, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was asked during a Congressional hearing whether Apple has “ever retaliated against or disadvantaged a developer who went public about their frustrations with the App Store”. Mr. Cook testified, “We do not retaliate or bully people. It’s strongly against our company culture.” But Apple has done just that,” it said in the statement. https://tech.hindustantimes.com/gaming/news/apple-continues-to-bully-epic-games-after-taking-down-fortnite-from-app-store-71597720893658.html https://tech.hindustantimes.com/gaming/news/apple-continues-...