Twitter and Spotify are on the same page against Apple, particularly for a policy in the App Store now that centers on scaling users that identify themselves as content creator. Twitter recently launched the 'Subscriptions' where influencers may earn more revenue when making certain content exclusive to the latest feature and having users pay for more to see.
When it launched earlier today, Elon Musk said that it may not immediately roll out for iPhone users as it may be subject to screening and approval from Apple before appearing for each creator.
(Photo : CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
Twitter and Spotify Agree Against Apple's 'Absurd' App Store Rules
Spotify and Twitter are two of the latest companies to speak up against Apple's App Store rules, specifically regarding the 30 percent commission charged on every in-app purchase. Twitter's new Subscription feature for content creators is subject to approval from Apple, and Daniel Ek, CEO of Spotify, finds Apple's policy absurd as it scales every content creator on Twitter when using the feature.
Now, with Twitter launching its Subscriptions feature, which allows content creators to earn extra from every subscribed user on the platform, the issue of the App Store commission has once again come to the forefront. Twitter has stated that it would give 100 percent of the revenue generated from subscriptions for the first year of the feature, but remains unknown if this would be affected by the App Store commission.
Note, it takes a few days longer for subscriptions to go active on iPhone vs web, as all subscriptions currently have to be approved by Apple
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 28, 2023
Daniel Ek and Elon Musk vs. Apple's App Store Policies
Daniel Ek, who has been a vocal critic of Apple's App Store policies, took to Twitter to express his frustration with the commission fee, as well as the approval. In the quote tweet, he argued that Apple's policy was particularly unfair in the case of Twitter's Subscriptions feature, as it scales every content creator, regardless of their size or revenue.
This is absurd... How would this scale with every creator on every platform on the internet? And what about if a platform thought the right fee was 0% or 10% instead of Apple's 30%? https://t.co/rolBNuXOvt
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) April 30, 2023
Musk then replied that "This is becoming a serious scaling challenge."
Apple's App Store Policies
The App Store commission has long been a topic of debate in the tech industry, with companies like Spotify and Epic Games challenging Apple's dominance over the app distribution market.
In 2020, Spotify filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission, accusing the tech giant of anticompetitive behavior. The complaint focused on the 30 percent commission, which Spotify argued was unfairly imposed on competitors of Apple Music.
The issue of the App Store commission is likely to continue to be a point of contention between Apple and its competitors or clients that use its services to bring their apps to iOS users. In response to criticism, Apple has argued that the commission fee is necessary to cover the costs of maintaining the App Store and providing developers with access to a large and engaged user base.
However, as more companies like Twitter and Spotify push back against this policy, it remains to be seen whether Apple will be forced to reconsider its approach. The Cupertino giant is now seeing a significant backlash on its App Store rules, with two vocal companies like Twitter and Spotify raising their concerns about the Subscription feature which is affected by this ruling.
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