Facebook says Apple blocked in-app message informing users of 30% App Store fee

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited August 2020
Facebook on Thursday said Apple recently rejected a transparency notice designed to inform users about its customary 30% App Store fee, reportedly saying the information is "irrelevant."

Facebook


The social network in a statement to Reuters said it attempted to inform users of the App Store commission as it pertains to a new feature that allows small businesses to host paid online events.

"Now more than ever, we should have the option to help people understand where money they intend for small businesses actually goes. Unfortunately Apple rejected our transparency notice around their 30% tax but we are still working to make that information available inside the app experience," Facebook said.

Facebook in August announced a new paid event tool that enables influencers and small businesses to offset revenue shortfalls caused by the coronavirus pandemic. To further assist users, Facebook is not collecting a cut of purchases processed through the platform. It asked Apple to do the same by waiving the App Store's 30% fee for in-app purchases, but the iPhone maker refused.

In response, Facebook publicly condemned the action and resolved to notify users of Apple's decision by displaying an in-app message detailing App Store commission rates. It also planned to tell users that Facebook is not collecting fees on purchases. Neither notification is currently present in the app, according to the report.

According to Facebook, Apple blocked the message by invoking an App Store clause that restricts developers from displaying "irrelevant" information to users.

Facebook joins a chorus of developers critical of App Store policy. Epic Games, perhaps the most prominent voice calling for change, is embroiled in a heated legal row over App Store fees and rules that prohibit third-party app stores. The gaming firm launched a private antitrust suit against Apple earlier this month, and this week won a temporary restraining order blocking Apple from following through with threats to remove its developer account.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    “tax” the spokesman says. Shut you the f up already. SMH
    edited August 2020 dhawkins541missiongreyllamaDogpersonjony0Detnator
  • Reply 2 of 59
    viclauyycviclauyyc Posts: 849member
    If people can put ALL AD on Facebook for free, then they have a point. But I guess they are not free. 
    Beatsigorskyjahbladellamawatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 59
    equality72521equality72521 Posts: 184member
    Lots of companies sensing blood in the water, using it to their own ends to reduce / remove payment to Apple for its services. 
    mwhiteSpamSandwichmac_dogdysamoriajahbladewatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 59
    macseekermacseeker Posts: 550member
    I need to first find that Electron Scanning Microscope to find that violin I put away for these special occasions.
    Rayz2016Beatsjeffharrisbeowulfschmidtnikon1JinTechigorskydysamoriajahbladetht
  • Reply 5 of 59
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,749member
    I’m a little surprised that Facebook has anyone intelligent working for them.
    nikon1Dogpersoncat52watto_cobraols
  • Reply 6 of 59
    MurvelMurvel Posts: 24member
    I tried reading this article on my iPhone, but Safari says ”irrelevant content”. Currently writing this on my PC.
    nikon1holmstockdDoodpantselijahgcoolfactorcat52watto_cobrajony0ols
  • Reply 7 of 59
    frantisekfrantisek Posts: 761member
    Is any retailer informing me that they have to pay commission to bank for card payment I did?
    aderutternikon1JinTechdysamoriajahbladethtpscooter63llamaDogpersoncat52
  • Reply 8 of 59
    BeatsBeats Posts: 3,073member
    Facebook blocked in-app message informing users of personal info being gathered.
    frantiseknikon1georgie01rob53jahbladecoolfactorDogpersoncat52watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 9 of 59
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    Not a great look for Apple, evn if Facebook's hypocrisy sticks in the throat a bit. 
    muthuk_vanalingamifullgazholmstockdtokyojimuBeatselijahg
  • Reply 10 of 59
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    At the same time my banking app on iOS works without ‘taxes’. 
    So it is possible. But Facebook has own agenda, not the goal to help others as they claim. 
    nikon1dysamoriaDogpersoncat52watto_cobraols
  • Reply 11 of 59
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,873member
    Every large internet/e-commerce company has anti-circumvention policies that apply to third parties doing business with them. Encouraging customers to use outside methods for purchasing or trying to discourage purchases inside the app/site is usually a violation of the contract. That's all this is. Amazon, Walmart, EBay, Etsy, Microsoft, Google...they've all got anti-circumvention policies. Facebook is free to talk about the 30% cut as much as they want in public media, but adding messages into the app is viewed as an attempt at circumvention. 
    aderuttermwhitenikon1igorskydysamoriatenthousandthingspscooter63n2itivguyDogpersoncat52
  • Reply 12 of 59
    PascalxxPascalxx Posts: 53member
    As I understand it, Facebook basically wants to allow small businesses to receive donations through the platform, without taking a cut and wants Apple to do the same. It doesn’t seem like an unreasonable suggestion to me. Are there no App Store fee waivers for donations?
    edited August 2020 holmstockddysamoriatokyojimu
  • Reply 13 of 59
    muthuk_vanalingammuthuk_vanalingam Posts: 1,376member
    Beats said:
    Facebook blocked in-app message informing users of personal info being gathered.

    Yup, Facebook is THE gold standard for Apple to aspire to, right?
    nikon1dysamoriajahbladepscooter63watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 59
    goodbyeranchgoodbyeranch Posts: 251member
    In the name of transparency I’d like to see in app messages on Instagram / Facebook overlaid on every advertisement With the following information : clickable phone number to the direct line for the ceo of the advertiser, how much the advertiser paid, what personal data was used to target me, how this data was acquired and a link to opt out of all data collection instantly and forever. I’d also like to see zuckerbergs Personal bank statements. So I can see where all that money is going. 
    edited August 2020 nikon1igorskydysamoriayoyo2222Dogpersoncat52watto_cobraDetnator
  • Reply 15 of 59
    NaiyasNaiyas Posts: 108member
    Pascalxx said:
    As I understand it, Facebook basically wants to allow small businesses to receive donations through the platform, without taking a cut and wants Apple to do the same. It doesn’t seem like an unreasonable suggestion to me. Are there no App Store fee waivers for donations?
    I think you'll find that even on "donation sites" there are no fee waivers for donations. What these donation collection sites do do however is have a much lower fee that is effectively set at "cost" - transaction execution fees plus platform maintenance fee.

    I would guess that a reputable donations platform that built an app would be able to negotiate a specific agreement with Apple for a lower App Store fee on IAP that are classed as donations, but who knows. Have any of those platforms tried?
  • Reply 16 of 59
    foregoneconclusionforegoneconclusion Posts: 2,873member
    Pascalxx said:
    As I understand it, Facebook basically wants to allow small businesses to receive donations through the platform, without taking a cut and wants Apple to do the same. It doesn’t seem like an unreasonable suggestion to me. Are there no App Store fee waivers for donations?
    According to the article, it's paid online events that Facebook was adding. They're trying to characterize it as charitable, but it's hard to see how it would meet the standard of a charitable donation. These are for-profit businesses and influencers. 
    nikon1Pascalxxdysamoriajahbladeyoyo2222llaman2itivguyDogpersoncat52watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 59
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,677member
    Pascalxx said:
    As I understand it, Facebook basically wants to allow small businesses to receive donations through the platform, without taking a cut and wants Apple to do the same. It doesn’t seem like an unreasonable suggestion to me. Are there no App Store fee waivers for donations?
    Nope, not in the US or EU.

    Another provider of connections to exercise services was temporarily allowing users to directly donate to the small gyms they partner with for on-line workouts, forgoing any profit for themselves, their reasoning being the exercise venues need every assist they can get just to survive the shut-downs.  Apple still insisted on their 30% cut of the donations though so that service simply chose to stop offering them. 

    If money passes thru an App Store app Apple wants a significant cut, with exceptions made only for China, and really out of necessity if they want to sell product there. Apple's business in China is a balancing act, not so much in the rest of the world.

    Now in Facebooks case they have ulterior motives so it's not about "helping the little guys survive". It's about trying to make Apple look greedy and petty and adding pressure for regulators to step in. Facebook is obviously staging for a public-relations battle with Apple, and it all about getting richer. I sincerely hope people understand what Facebook is up to. They are not innocent.
    edited August 2020 nikon1georgie01muthuk_vanalingamPascalxxdewmedysamoriajahbladepscooter63christophbn2itivguy
  • Reply 18 of 59
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,630member
    urahara said:
    At the same time my banking app on iOS works without ‘taxes’. 
    So it is possible. But Facebook has own agenda, not the goal to help others as they claim. 
    Beingworth $100B is clearly not enough for 'the Zuck'. He wants to challenge Jeff "I am the man" Bezos for the title of richest man in the world...
    It is all about how much dosh thay can make from sucking the life out of their users. That's all FB cares about. Everything else is just window dressing.
    Not on FB. Never have been and never will be.
    nikon1dysamoriajahbladeDogpersoncat52watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 19 of 59
    nikon1nikon1 Posts: 18member
    urahara said:
    At the same time my banking app on iOS works without ‘taxes’. 
    So it is possible. But Facebook has own agenda, not the goal to help others as they claim. 
    Well, the “others” in FaceCrooks claim is the Executive Board of FaceCrook.

    Gee, maybe zuck won’t be able to buy that whole Hawaiian Island he’s been eyeballing with his “monetary package” this year.

    Zuck & Co. talking about transparency should require a sparkling clear mirror that they can look into.
    dysamoriajahbladeDogpersonwatto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 20 of 59
    darelrexdarelrex Posts: 140member
    Imagine if Coke sent new signage to Kroger, for the Coke section of the store, that announced, "This soda would be a lot cheaper if Kroger didn't mark it up so much above the wholesale price." Would Kroger happily install that signage in their store? No. They would send it back or throw it in the trash.
    Rayz2016dysamoriallamathtBeatsDogpersoncat52watto_cobrajony0Detnator
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