Apple received a nasty Christmas present in the Netherlands. And it is that, as we already told you, after an investigation carried out by ACM, the regulator of consumption and markets, decided force Apple to allow dating apps for iOS to include links to external payment methods. And why only dating apps? Because he received a complaint from the Match Group, which owns services like Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid. However, I was doing some research before, so this may just be a first step.
The first response, from Apple, was to state that they intended to appeal, an action that we understand is still among their plans. But nevertheless, this measure has not served to delay the dates proposed by the regulator, which pointed out that Apple should enable the necessary means so that dating service apps could offer in-app purchases without having to go through Apple’s payment system. Y the deadline was last January 15.
In response, those from Cupertino finally gave in, as we could see in this publication, although raising their own conditions, among which, of course, it stands out that despite the fact that the users of the services use other payment platforms, Apple would continue to receive a commission on such operations. A model that we saw a few days ago in the agreement reached between the company and South Korean regulators, where the App Store will also have to allow in-app purchases with payments through third-party platforms.
However, unlike the conditions agreed in Korea, which have already been given the green light,time the ACM will review the proposal, in a process in which those responsible for dating apps will also participate, whose approval of these conditions we understand will have considerable weight for the final decision of the regulator. At this point we can understand that the commission percentage will be a key factor. And no, in case you are wondering, this figure has not been released publicly, although it is understandable that sooner or later it is a fact that will come to light.
Developers who want to opt out of third-party payment systems in the Netherlands, will have to submit to the App Store two binaries, one specific to this demarcation, and others that do not include the alternative means of payment for the rest of the markets. Additionally, Apple warns that by using third-party payment methods, the experience of requesting a refund, managing subscriptions, viewing purchase history, etc., will be significantly complicated. A message aimed not so much at developers, of course, as at users, with the aim that they choose to pay for their in-app purchases directly through Apple.
