[Wowfunhappy]

Yes, but Apple would have a lot less power if developers could threaten (even theoretically) to go around the App Store.

Even now, major apps do have power. Unlike Hey, Netflix and Amazon are at least still in the App Store, and Amazon is even allowed to sell video rentals through their app without going through Apple's payment system: https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/1/21203294/amazon-prime-vide...

Edit: My posts probably read like contradictions. I see it like this: (1) The safe and vetted App Store is a part of the iPhone's appeal, which (2) Apple is currently enforcing through anti-competitive tactics. If Apple wants to maintain the App Store as a product differentiator (which of course they do), they should have to do the work to keep developers happy. Where "keep happy" means very basic things like not taking a full 30% of their revenue.

[nodamage]

Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as digital video content providers are specifically exempted from the IAP rules according to section 3.1.3(a) of the App Store review guidelines.

[Wowfunhappy]

Sure, that's the justification, but Apple wrote those rules. It's completely arbitrary in practice.

I thought John Gruber laid this out pretty well: https://daringfireball.net/2020/06/hey_app_store_rejection_f...