Facebook said Apple denied its request to waive the in-app purchase charge for its new online events tool. Facebook wanted all events revenue to go to business owners; when it tried to inform them of the charge, Apple removed the message. Apple said the update violated its App Store rule that mandates developers to not show any “irrelevant” information to users. (Reuters, The Verge)
Talking point: This is the latest controversy to hit Apple over its App Store policies. The company has argued that it tries to keep a level playing field for all developers, but in recent months, developers from email client Hey to Fortnite creators Epic Games have gone public with complaints about Apple’s dominance over in-app purchases. The App Store is also under scrutiny by EU antitrust regulators and the U.S. House Antitrust Committee. “Now more than ever, we should have the option to help people understand where money they intend for small businesses actually goes,” Facebook said in a statement to Reuters. “Unfortunately Apple rejected our transparency notice around their 30-percent tax but we are still working to make that information available inside the app experience.”