Meta's Zuckerberg takes shots at Apple App Store fees, maintains its own

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Mark Zuckerberg continues to claim that Apple App Store costs stifle innovation while at the same time saying that he is maintaining developer fees on augmented and virtual reality.

Credit: Facebook/Meta
Credit: Facebook/Meta


During the Facebook Connect 2021 keynote Thursday, Zuckerberg announced that the company, rebranded as Meta, would focus more heavily on building out the "metaverse."

At one point during his announcement, Zuckerberg used the Oculus platform as an example of how Meta will operate going forward. It wouldn't be a developer creating apps for platforms. Instead, it aims to build its own platform so that it doesn't have to pay any commissions -- or be threatened when a company like Apple institutes privacy changes that cause a slump in advertising revenue.

"We also need to help build ecosystems so that millions of people can have a stake in the future can be rewarded for their work and benefit as the tide rises -- not just as consumers, but as creators and developers," Zuckerberg said. "This period has also been humbling, because as big of a company as we are, we've also learned what it is like to build for other platforms. And living under their rules has profoundly shaped my views on the tech industry."

The Meta CEO added that he's come to believe that "the lack of choice and high fees are stifling innovation, stopping people from building new things, and holding back the entire economy."

Zuckerberg did not mention Apple or Google by name, but the comments are obviously direct toward them. Both Apple and Google operate app marketplaces and charge developers fees when customers make a purchase on their apps.

Apple has been heavy scrutinized for its 30% commission on app and in-app purchases. Google also charged 30%, however, both companies have since made changes to their commission rates.

Zuckerberg claimed that Meta's platforms, such as Oculus, will keep their fees lower for developers and creators. However, the Meta CEO did note that some fees may be higher given the investment in the company's new planned ecosystem.

"To keep investing in this future, we'll need to keep some fees higher for some period to make sure that we don't lose too much money on this program overall," Zuckerberg said.

Facebook is currently under fire for allegedly allowing hate speech, misinformation, and illegal content to run rampant on its platforms. Multiple document trove leaks and whistleblower reports have suggested that Facebook (now known as Meta) is aware of these issues.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 26
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    Amount Facebook pays Apple every year: $0  

    Mark, you ungrateful, lying POS 

    ———————
    Correction:   Facebook pays Apple the $99/yr developer fee
    viclauyycroundaboutnowF_Kent_DStrangeDaysikirDnykjpRfC6fnBswatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 26
    I am sure the ad is free on Facebook. What a hypocrite.
    ikirStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 26
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    For anyone keeping score:

    Galaxy Store: 30%
    Amazon App Store: 30%
    Microsoft Store: 30% for apps, games, in-app purchases made on the Xbox console; 15% for PC apps, 12% for PC games

    Source: https://www.theverge.com/21445923/platform-fees-apps-games-business-marketplace-apple-google

    Nintendo Store: 30%
    PlayStation Store: 30%

    Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/22/apple-app-store-fee-study/

    Oculus Store: was 30% a couple of years ago.

    I don't know if Facebook changed this Oculus Store recently. Note that signing up for Oculus now requires a Facebook account. I bought my Rift S before Facebook made this change so it will likely be my last Oculus device.
    edited October 2021 roundaboutnowrezwitsStrangeDaysikirviclauyychammeroftruthFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 26
    p-dogp-dog Posts: 131member
    Zuckerberg is a greedy, hypocritical, democracy-destroying, fetid turd on a booster seat.
    AI_liasmwhitesbdudebaconstangmike1hcrefugeeStrangeDayspulseimagesikirhammeroftruth
  • Reply 5 of 26
    AI_liasAI_lias Posts: 434member
    I know this was planned for a while, the rebranding, but how tone deaf does it seem in light of everything we know about Facebook. Glad I deleted my account, wasn't easy but life is actually much better without it.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 26
    I think the guy is a serial scumbag… Just sayin…
    p-dogbaconstangwidmarkrotateleftbyteikirviclauyycwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 26
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    Had my account for 1 day and deleted it the same day....
    viclauyycwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 26
    mpantone said:
    For anyone keeping score:
    ...
    Microsoft Store: 30% for apps, games, in-app purchases made on the Xbox console; 15% for PC apps, 12% for PC games

    Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/22/apple-app-store-fee-study/
    One critical detail that you didn't include about Microsoft is:

    Non-game sellers can also use their own payment system and avoid Microsoft’s commission entirely as of July 28th, 2021.

    So if you're selling your app on Microsoft's store, then you can opt for your own payment processing, which means you could use something like Stripe, which brings your card processing fees down to around 3%. I know I'd do that in a microsecond if I was selling software on the Windows Store. Also, recently Google has dropped their rates to 15%, I'm not 100% certain of the details, but I believe it's now 15% across the board. Really, I don't see why anyone would cheer higher fees for middle men when you're a consumer. We should want these fees to be low. I know I do, but I see a lot of people who seem to want the fees to be high. Maybe they would prefer a store that takes 50%! It's nuts.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 9 of 26
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    mpantone said:
    For anyone keeping score:
    ...
    Microsoft Store: 30% for apps, games, in-app purchases made on the Xbox console; 15% for PC apps, 12% for PC games

    Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/22/apple-app-store-fee-study/
    One critical detail that you didn't include about Microsoft is:

    Non-game sellers can also use their own payment system and avoid Microsoft’s commission entirely as of July 28th, 2021.

    So if you're selling your app on Microsoft's store, then you can opt for your own payment processing, which means you could use something like Stripe, which brings your card processing fees down to around 3%. I know I'd do that in a microsecond if I was selling software on the Windows Store. Also, recently Google has dropped their rates to 15%, I'm not 100% certain of the details, but I believe it's now 15% across the board. Really, I don't see why anyone would cheer higher fees for middle men when you're a consumer. We should want these fees to be low. I know I do, but I see a lot of people who seem to want the fees to be high. Maybe they would prefer a store that takes 50%! It's nuts.
    Good on Microsoft for offering this flexibility and yet still hosting the downloads.

    I certainly don't count myself amongst those who want high app store commissions!

     :p 

    If I recall correctly, Apple's App Store Small Business Program reduces the commission to 15% to businesses that make less than $1 million in revenue annually. So they are taxing the rich developers more heavily.

    When possible I still buy Mac apps directly from the developer's storefront. Sadly I do not have this choice on iOS. For PC games, I have even more flexibility: Steam, Epic, Origin, Ubisoft, GOG, Itch and more, including directly from the developer (like Laminar's X-Plane).
    edited October 2021
  • Reply 10 of 26
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    As I recall,  evoke Apple entered the story business online sales was more like 70%., little different from physical retail store margins.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 26
    "Multiple document trove leaks and whistleblower reports have suggested that Facebook (now known as Meta) is aware of these issues."

    I thought the holding company was called Meta? Facebook is just a brand inside the holding company, so Facebook is NOT now known as Meta, right?
    FileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 26
    I heard that FB's new name was going to be 'ZuckMuck"...

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 26
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Comparing digital content sales with bricks-and-mortar sales is tricky.

    Taylor Swift actually makes more if I buy her album from the Apple Music Store than if I drive to Target to buy a nice shiny CD with paper liner notes.

    She's the one who basically got Apple to change the way they compensated artists over streaming. She even said it wouldn't affect her revenue that much but the policy Apple had in place at the time was detrimental to small indie musicians. As she has said time and time again, artists should be paid. And not from the hundredth or thousandth stream but from each and every playback starting from Stream #1.
    edited October 2021 muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 26
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    Is this like Comcast changing it's name to Xfinity? Everyone equated Comcast with sucky service so they changed the name hoping people wouldn't equate Xfinity with 'sucky.' Now Facebook is changing its name to Meta hoping people won't equate Met with a lying, spying cancer on society.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 26
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Ah, one good piece of news from today's FB Connect event was their decision to eliminate the mandatory Facebook account requirement for Oculus VR.

    https://www.pcgamer.com/oculus-quest-vr-headsets-to-eliminate-mandatory-facebook-account-log-in-requirement/

    That's a tiny step in the right direction.
    rezwitsmuthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 26
    sbdudesbdude Posts: 255member
    p-dog said:
    Zuckerberg is a greedy, hypocritical, democracy-destroying, fetid turd on a booster seat.

    I wish I could like your comment more.
    mike1ikirwatto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 26
    sbdudesbdude Posts: 255member
    mpantone said:
    For anyone keeping score:
    ...
    Microsoft Store: 30% for apps, games, in-app purchases made on the Xbox console; 15% for PC apps, 12% for PC games

    Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/07/22/apple-app-store-fee-study/
    One critical detail that you didn't include about Microsoft is:

    Non-game sellers can also use their own payment system and avoid Microsoft’s commission entirely as of July 28th, 2021.

    So if you're selling your app on Microsoft's store, then you can opt for your own payment processing, which means you could use something like Stripe, which brings your card processing fees down to around 3%. I know I'd do that in a microsecond if I was selling software on the Windows Store. Also, recently Google has dropped their rates to 15%, I'm not 100% certain of the details, but I believe it's now 15% across the board. Really, I don't see why anyone would cheer higher fees for middle men when you're a consumer. We should want these fees to be low. I know I do, but I see a lot of people who seem to want the fees to be high. Maybe they would prefer a store that takes 50%! It's nuts.

    The only way the consumer wins is if the developer passes on the transaction fee/commission savings to said consumer. If the price remains the same, only the developer wins.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 26
    p-dog said:
    Zuckerberg is a greedy, hypocritical, democracy-destroying, fetid turd on a booster seat.
    Yeah, but don't dwell on his better qualities...
    williamlondonFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 19 of 26
    Apple's closed ecosystem was also criticized by the Zuck. Apple is an easy target right now with its massive profits and anti-customer/anti-developer rules and fees.
  • Reply 20 of 26
    Metas vision of the future is nothing new. SuckerBerg is a twat, I hate how he dressed like Steve Jobs and acted like he was a visionary. Scumbag!!
    williamlondonbaconstangwatto_cobra
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