[alxlaz]

This is:

1. Not about any monopoly (in fact the word "monopoly" does not appear in the press release at all).

2. Nothing like McDonalds, whose business model is completely different from an app store's.

3. Not about Apple can do to consumers who aren't in the Apple ecosystem but about what it can do to developers who wish to sell their applications and services for Apple devices.

If you really insist on making an analogy that involves McDonalds: that's like arguing that McDonalds should not be allowed to prevent Coca-Cola from telling Coca-Cola customers that they can buy Coca-Cola in places other than McDonalds. Which, yeah, they're not allowed to.

[fidotron]

> If you really insist on making an analogy that involves McDonalds: that's like arguing that McDonalds should not be allowed to prevent Coca-Cola from telling Coca-Cola customers that they can buy Coca-Cola in places other than McDonalds. Which, yeah, they're not allowed to.

Neither the App Stores or McDonalds have any control over what you do outside of them. That's your problem, individually and collectively.

[jasonlotito]

> [the App Stores does not] any control over what you do outside of them

Well, we are talking about Apple's App Store, not just an App Store, and in that case, it's Apple. So, Apple wants to exert control over what you as an app developer do outside of the App Store. That's the problem. The fact that you think that's not happening means you know it's wrong.

[fidotron]

No, it's within the App that is distributed on the App Store.

Plenty of companies will charge you different prices for things based on whether you get them via the App Store or their website.

[alxlaz]

Except Apple tried to exert control over that, which is exactly what they got fined for, because it's illegal.

[fidotron]

They did the equivalent of saying to Coca Cola if you discover a customer via the App Store then we get a cut of it, which is a very normal and common arrangement, even if disagreeable.

[alxlaz]

No, they did the equivalent of saying to Coca-Cola if you discover a customer via the App Store then you cannot tell them they can buy Coca-Cola from outside the App Store, too, a decidedly anti-competitive practice that also happens to be illegal in just about every European country, even without EU intervention.

[fidotron]

You cannot tell them _within the app_.

You absolutely can tell the customer via your website or any other means you use to communicate with them.

Do you expect Amazon marketplace sellers to be able to link to their items being on ebay or shopify from the actual Amazon website?

[alxlaz]

> Do you expect Amazon marketplace sellers to be able to link to their items being on ebay or shopify from the actual Amazon website?

From the Amazon website? No. From the products they're selling? Yes, absolutely, and lots of them do, I get one of those business cards with "Find us on Amazon/Ebay/Shopify/whatever" in the box with almost every purchase.

Same with apps. I obviously don't expect them to link to items from other stores from their App Store description pages. But from their application? Yes, I totally expect that.

That's how marketplaces everywhere work, including IRL. Go to any farmer's market and most sellers will give you a business card with their website or phone number so you can also order from them directly, or from their Amazon/Shopify/whatever page.

Edit: not to mention that this is 2025, the distinction between "within the app" and "via your website" is pretty meaningless in a bunch of cases.

[jasonlotito]

Nope. That's a lie. You're a liar. They didn't start out like that all, and to pretend otherwise is lying.

[fidotron]

Yeah, keep slinging the insults.

You are perfectly free to have a website where you list your prices at one price point, and then have them different in the app because of the 30% cut, and that's very normal practice, even if everyone does complain about it.

Btw Google do exactly the same thing.