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Count Spotify among those not thrilled with howApple has chosen to complywith the EU ’s Digital Markets Act ( DMA ) , which sets the stage for sideloading apps , alternate app entrepot , browser app choice , and more . On Friday , the streaming medicine society issued its reply to Apple ’s unexampled DMA rules , squall the new fees imposed on developer “ extortion ” and Apple ’s conformation plan “ a complete and total travesty , ” that demonstrated the technical school monster believes that the convention do n’t use to them .
Apple earlier this hebdomad announced ahost of changesthat comply with the letter of the EU natural law , if not the spirit . The party said that app developer in the EU will receive reduced commissions , but it also introduced a young “ pith technology fee ” that want developers to give € 0.50 for each first annual install per yr over a 1 million threshold , disregardless of their statistical distribution channel . It will also charge a 3 % payment processing fee when developers use Apple ’s in - app payments alternatively of their own .
Epic Games ’ CEO Tim Sweeney , whose caller sued Apple over antitrust concerns , alreadycondemned Apple ’s design , say it was a face of “ malicious compliance”and full of “ dust fee , ” and now Spotify is fundamentally saying the same .
The streamer , along with Epic , Match , and others , has been a longtime critic of the tech giant and one that has tug for increase regularisation , admit through the DMA .
In a company blog post and a serial ofposts on X ( formerly Twitter),Spotify chief operating officer Daniel Ek shared his thoughts on Apple ’s DMA annunciation , after a review by Spotify ’s lawyers . He begins by call off the promulgation “ at best undefined and misleading ” and a “ young low for the company . ”
After sitting with our effectual team to parse through the all right print of Apple ’s DMA announcement ( that took a while ) , which is , at best faint and misleading , I wanted to portion out my thoughts .
While Apple has carry badly for years , what they did yesterday symbolise a young low , even …
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— Daniel Ek ( @eldsjal)January 26 , 2024
Ek say Apple ’s result is a “ masterclass in distortion ” as it represent app developer with a choice of dumbfound to the current price or experience to alternate to a “ convoluted new model ” that ab initio may wait attractive , but actually may arrive with higher fees . He points out that any app with tens or hundreds of millions of EU users would now face a new taxation on every new download and update every year — something that would touch on a routine of large apps like WhatsApp , Duolingo , X , and Pinterest , as well as Spotify ’s own .
The system is understandably designed to keep apps from opting for alternative means of distribution like sideloading or substitute app stores . However , without the big apps available through these alternative channels , they ’ll lose their prayer to consumer . Apple ’s App Store will maintain its power , Ek believes .
Plus , because of the increase fees , Spotify does n’t even have a pick , Ek explains — it ’s wedge to adhere with the current system .
“ Spotify itself face an untenable position , ” he writes . “ With our EU Apple install al-Qaeda in the 100 million cooking stove , this new taxation on downloads and updates could skyrocket our client accomplishment costs , potentially increase them tenfold . This as we have to pay on every install or update to our detached or paid app , even for those who no longer use the Robert William Service . So where does that leave us ? Under the new term , we can not give these fee if we want to be a profitable troupe , so our only option is to stick with the status quo . The very thing we ’ve been fighting against for five years , ” Ek says .
He sign off with a challenge to lawmakers , saying he hopes they recognise what Apple is doing and stand unwavering , and “ does n’t let their work over the years all be for nothing . The existence is watching , ” Ek writes .
Ek ’s missive adopt condemnation from both Epic Games andCoalition for App Fairness ( CAF ) , a lobbying group whose appendage let in Epic , Spotify , Tile , Basecamp , Match , Deezer , and dozens of smaller developers . Theorganization on Thursday declaredthat Apple ’s young fee on direct downloads and payment they do nothing to process violate the law , and does not actually increase either contest or fairness in the digital marketplace .
“ Apple ’s proposal of marriage forces developer to choose between two anticompetitive and illegal choice , ” Rick VanMeter , Executive Director of CAF articulate , in a statement . “ Either stick with the terrible status quo or choose into a young convoluted set of term that are bad for developers and consumers alike . This is yet another attempt to evade regulation , the the like of which we ’ve see in the United States , the Netherlands , and South Korea . Apple ’s ‘ programme ’ is a unblushing insult to the European Commission and the millions of European consumers they present – it must not stand and should be scorn by the Commission . ”
Mozilla has also come out againstApple ’s Modern browser app formula , forebode them “ as painful as potential . ”
Apple shared the following financial statement after Spotify ’s posting :
“ We ’re glad to support the achiever of all developer — including Spotify , which has the most successful medicine well out app in the world . The change we ’re apportion for apps in the European Union give developers choice — with new choice to distribute iOS apps and process payment . Every developer can choose to stay on the same terms in post today . And under the raw term , more than 99 % of developers would pay the same or less to Apple . ”
Apple ’s answer to EU ’s ostiary rule is unexampled ‘ core tech ’ fee for apps
Epic Games CEO call out Apple ’s DMA convention as ‘ malicious obligingness ’ and full of ‘ junk fee ’
A closer flavour at Apple ’s web browser - related changes to Io in EU
updated , 2/28/24 , 2 postmortem examination ET with Apple ’s financial statement
