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Apple to let Facebook online events temporarily avoid 30% cut
- searchableguy 6y agoPaywall Bypass: Array.from(document.querySelectorAll("p")).map(i => i.textContent).join("\n")
- liability 6y agoOr just don't whitelist javascript on bloomberg, since the site works just fine without it.
- wayneftw 6y agoBoy I wish there was a way to do that in iOS Safari, where they only let you disable it for the entire browser and not just for a single website. Maybe once Apple allows a default web browser to be set, I will finally get this ability on my phone. I might even build my own web browser!
- aplummer 6y agoYou can set the default browser on iOS14 [1] https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/google-chrome-default-browser-ios/ https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/google-chrome-default-brows...
- gst 6y agoEnabling the reader view in Safari also shows the whole article.
- jlbnjmn 6y agoMy favorite Firefox on Android feature is site by site JavaScript permissions. So much good.
- c54 6y agoIs this benefitting the businesses using the Facebook Events platform, or is it benefitting Facebook itself?
- fatnoah 6y ago>Is this benefitting the businesses using the Facebook Events platform, or is it benefitting Facebook itself? Probably both. Businesses will get 100% of the money, and Facebook may get some more users. EDIT: Just to clarify, FB doesn't take a cut of the money earned, so the Apple 30% was coming out of money that would have gone to the businesses.
- disown 6y ago> EDIT: Just to clarify, FB doesn't take a cut of the money earned, so the Apple 30% was coming out of money that would have gone to the businesses. FB doesn't take a cut of the money, they take all of the data. Strangely enough, the latter is probably more profitable/valuable than the former.
- chillacy 6y agoIn the short term businesses saved 30% since Facebook isn’t making profit from the events now, in the long term it’s probably good for Facebook, assuming Apple renews the deal.
- ffggvv 6y agoof course billion dollar corporations get exemptions but average app developers dont get such luxuries
- systemvoltage 6y agoNot that I don't empathize with your sentiments, but this is common literally in every industry. Larger the MOQ or volume, the better the price. From cotton to silicon to software, it is fundamental in business dealings.
- ffggvv 6y agoi think bulk/volume pricing is different than selective enforcement of rules. the first is just based on economies of scale etc
- summitsummit 6y agosure, billion dollar corporations have a billion dollars in defenses to fight it but poor developers don't have anything to protect them so they get raped
- l1ghthouse 6y agoNot only Facebook. Also other developers. Like Airbnb and classpass for example. Source: https://9to5mac.com/2020/09/25/apple-pausing-its-30-ios-cut-for-facebook-events/ https://9to5mac.com/2020/09/25/apple-pausing-its-30-ios-cut-...
- jlbnjmn 6y agoYeah that's mentioned in the article as well. Kind of takes the wind out of the, "same rules for everyone...level playing field" argument.
- BillinghamJ 6y agoThese are the same rules for everyone. Any 1:1 in-app interactions are temporarily exempted from in-app purchases as they'd typically be exempt due to happening out of the app
- tyingq 6y agoAirBnb isn't always 1:1
- bryan0 6y agoI wouldn't say these are the same rules for everyone. These are the rules for companies which happen to fall under the same class of exemptions that FB lobbied for.
- saurik 6y agoAny rule is universally applicable if the rule narrowly defines the target ;P.
- iflp 6y ago> the pause on fees for online events by Apple is happening for all developers
- 6y ago
- Simulacra 6y agoApple's mentality it seems is to not care about you or your small development company. They don't care if you're a large app developer, and they never have. From antenna gate to the butterfly keyboard, Apple does what it wants and if you don't like it, well, tough.
- systemvoltage 6y agoDo you expect a customer to purchase peanuts by the kg and another customer to purchase peanuts by the tons at the same price/kg? Larger companies bring larger revenue. They get juicy discounts. I acknowledge the situation with smaller devs, but the comparison is extreme - billion dollar company vs. a single developer. How do you reconcile these? Every enterprise software has volume licensing even though the cost of distribution is negligible. Is an App store different? I argue its not, but open for discussion. With Stripe, I can get 1.9% or even lower transaction fees if my volume is $2M+ annually. Usually for poor small companies, they have to pay 2.9%. So sorry for small companies :-( but that's how the world works. There is a lot of emotion behind arguments on HN when it comes to Apple. It is mob thinking and bandwagoning, I am not impressed. Edit: Sorry, I was referring to another comment. My mistake.
- jlbnjmn 6y agoHasn't the pro-Apple argument centered around everyone pays the same amount and people knew what the rules are so stop complaining and pay? The anti-Apple argument has been that the policy hurts smaller developers and is being applied unfairly. This at least validates the latter argument while suggesting truth to the former. Regardless, it's an interesting development.
- dmurray 6y ago> Hasn't the pro-Apple argument centered around everyone pays the same amount and people knew what the rules are so stop complaining and pay? To me it's looked more like the argument is: it's Apple's store, so Apple gets to make the rules. And that they don't have anything close to a monopoly in mobile hardware or mobile OSes, which is one argument for not allowing them to make their own rules.
- joecot 6y agoThis should do wonders for the Epic/Apple case
- jlbnjmn 6y agoA more cynical me would say Facebook just set Apple up with this, but the realist acknowledges it's just about money and control. Either way, it would seem to help Epic's case.
- alkonaut 6y agoHow about we go back to where we were in the beginning: Apps can be free or cost money. If they cost money, Apple can take a cut. Apps can sell anything they want that’s part of the app (game levels) and must then use in-app purchases. All other sales both physical and non-physical (media, tickets, parking, ...) you can sell how you want. Are these terms really that absurd?
- oh_sigh 6y agoCan I sell a non-physical item, like a ticket, which when you type its ID into the app, it unlocks a new level?
- alkonaut 6y agoThat would seem like you just sold the level to the AppStore reviewers
- 0xCMP 6y agoThe terms are not absurd, but currently the fight I've seen is around: a) Being able to provide a free app with a subscription you can not buy in the app because of the 30% with IAP you're required to use b) The ability to purchase tokens/credits in a game to then purchase other stuff. So it wouldn't resolve the current major fights IMO.
- gamblor956 6y agoHow about we got to a place where Apple isn't taking 30% from companies just for the privilege of putting an app in the store, even when payment streams are completely unrelated to the app store and are merely provided as a convenience to customers? Apple taking 30% (or trying) from every app is bad for everyone.
- WWLink 6y agoHow about a point where Apple doesn't expect a kickback from every transaction that occurs on an apple device?
- LeoNatan25 6y agoTim Apple: tHe sAmE RuLeS ApPlY To eVeRyBoDy
- sjm 6y agoThis does apply to everybody. The article has been updated. edit: Wasn't this article that was updated, my bad. It's the 9to5mac article that says "[Update: Applies for all devs]" in the title.
- gamblor956 6y agoAccording to the current version of the article as of noon, the exception only applies to events posted through Facebook. (Classpass and AirBnB have their own special exemptions). The article does not say that this exemption applies to developers in general.
- sjm 6y agoThe 9to5mac article suggests it is all developers: https://9to5mac.com/2020/09/25/apple-pausing-its-30-ios-cut-for-facebook-events/ https://9to5mac.com/2020/09/25/apple-pausing-its-30-ios-cut-...
- zobzu 6y agoThe article does not say everybody. It says Facebook and AirBnb. It also specifically say many will still have to pay the tax. Where did you see everybody? Obviously to me FB and other big companies get a favor, small developers can shove it and pay.
- sjm 6y agoMy bad, it was in the 9to5mac article where "[Update: Applies for all devs]" is in the title. Updated my OP.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- 0xUser 6y agoSo what about apps through which you can purchase physical goods, like Amazon's app (I presume one exists)? Do those also have to give 30% cut to apple?
- kobalsky 6y agoNo. Source: I work on a shopping app similar to Amazon's Prime Now but for a different country. Something funny. When you sell on Amazon, they take a 15% cut. Source: Also work on software for Amazon sellers.
- bostonvaulter2 6y agoWhat if you signed up for amazon prime from within the app?
- tehjoker 6y agoThis is like national vs international law. Apple can make rules for entities weaker than it, but with entities that are comparable, it's whatever they can negotiate. When companies are privately owned and highly concentrated, you get two sets of rules: one for the weak and one for the strong.
- neonate 6y agohttps://archive.is/4a5hG https://archive.is/4a5hG
- Elo5555 6y agoApart from facebook, other developer like Airbnb
- newscracker 6y agoI perceive Apple struggling with the payments and cuts it takes...even during normal (“non-pandemic” for readers from the far future) times there doesn’t seem to be a simple, clear and consistent explanation for what or who merits exceptions from paying the 30% commission (and related rates for subscriptions). This news sounds like Apple taking some more time to think things through and come up with better plans (plans for itself and payment plans for developers on its platforms) before the judiciary or lawmakers cripple its systems way beyond its tolerance for changes. There will be more permanent “concessions” coming soon, without admitting in any shape or form that the current system doesn’t make sense and is exploitative for some/many developers (not Facebook, which I believe with its vile history, can easily eat the commissions if it really cares about its users).