With the growing number of unsatisfied app developers against the new policies of the Apple App Store, its absurdity is reaching the ears of bigger platforms. The App Store commission fee has long been a topic in the tech industry, with big companies like Epic Games and Spotify challenging Apple's Policies.
Spotify has always been vocal about the App Store's guidelines. With the release of Twitter's new feature, Spotify brings up Apple's restriction issues once again alongside Elon Musk.
Spotify and Twitter Against Apple's App Store Rules
Twitter recently released a "Subscriptions" feature where influencers can earn more revenue when creating certain content exclusives. However, this feature did not immediately roll out to iPhone users, which sparked a conversation with Spotify's CEO and Twitter's CEO.
Twitter's CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted that it takes a few days longer for iPhone users to have subscriptions active since all subscriptions need to be approved by Apple first. Musk even tagged Apple CEO, Tim Cook, and stated that Apple's policies were "concerning" and accused Apple of suppressing free speech.
Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, then responded about the absurdity of Apple's 30% commission charge for every in-app purchase. Musk replied, "This is becoming a serious scaling challenge."
Spotify's Fights With Apple's Policies
Since the release of the commission fee, Spotify constantly spoke out about Apple's restrictions on developers. Apple and Spotify have fought over the app store rules for nearly seven years.
In 2020, Spotify filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission. Ek included that the Apple Store's restriction hurts both consumers and creators alike.
In response, Apple argued that the commission fee is necessary to cover all the costs of maintaining the App Store. Apple adds that it can also provide developers with access to an engaged and larger user base.
Apple has also rejected Spotify's app three times in October 2022 alone due to in-app purchase rules. Apple claims that the new audiobooks of Spotify broke Apple's policies governing how developers communicate with customers about online purchases.
Apple is standing in the way of not only Spotify but also other developers' abilities to create a seamless user experience. Although more companies push back against the fee, it remains unseen whether Apple will reconsider its approach.
What to Expect About the App Store's Policies
John Freeman, a CFRA analyst, states that Apple is playing a dangerous game. He adds, "The tech giant better have a good reason to reject Spotify. Otherwise, people are going to scream bloody murder."
Freeman states that European regulators are already engaged in the antitrust investigation against Apple. Congress is considering new rules to limit the power of Apple's App Store.
There is hope that the new EU rules will force Apple to open iOS to other alternative app stores and app billing methods. However, these changes may be exclusive to Europe, and the policies may remain the same for the major markets.
