Apple is acting like a state within their domain. Collecting a VAT and requiring compliance that's reserved usually for the national tax office with inspective powers.
Having locked in the richest consumers of the world, they get to say what goes and what doesn't, worldly courts and laws be damned.
It's both hilarious and gruesome at the same time, because we're supposed to be equal under consumer laws or whatever, but there you go!
> Apple is acting like a state within their domain.
Someone unironically complained yesterday that developers who don't like paying the 30% fee probably don't like paying their taxes, and I made the exact same argument that Apple was acting like a sovereign state [0]. And now Apple is doubling down by announcing that they'll be performing financial audits just like the Internal Revenue Service if you include a link to purchase content/services outside of the app store.
The infuriating part is that this isn’t about computing or distribution. They already charge for that separately. It’s a triple dip just because nobody stops them.
Most of the modern digital consumer economy is based on products and services which are device-agnostic. If I’m using Spotify or Netflix or something they are service providers and the iPhone/ipad is just a client device. Apple should have no marginal returns (a cut) on money that should go to artists, actors, developers. They’ve already charged massively for both their physical products and their services.
Antitrust law is a joke. This has always been glaringly obvious since Jobs first came up with this shit. The fact that it still ain’t fixed is a travesty, not just for tech nerds, but it impedes the digital economy at large.
The greediest thing of it all is that they’re actually providing a service people would pay premium for - in-app purchases and their “all subscriptions in one place” without dark pattern harassment is very nice for consumers. They have a legit product worth a ton yet they still refuse to compete fairly. Anti-market capitalism..
Having locked in the richest consumers of the world, they get to say what goes and what doesn't, worldly courts and laws be damned.
It's both hilarious and gruesome at the same time, because we're supposed to be equal under consumer laws or whatever, but there you go!