Fortnite is coming back to iOS for iPhone users in the EU. However, the game’s creator, along with other tech companies and app developers, are blasting Apple for policy changes based on the EU-law that facilitated Fortnite’s return in the first place.
https://twitter.com/eldsjal/status/1750988499518362089″ target=”_blank” title=”(opens in a new window)” rel=”noopener
Xbox president Sarah Bond said the policy “a step in the wrong direction.”
https://twitter.com/TimSweeneyEpic/status/1750589570880516402″ target=”_blank” title=”(opens in a new window)” rel=”noopener
Nikita Bier, a tech founder who özgü been behind many popular free social media apps like tbh and Gas, pointed out that under this new fee structure, apps can potentially end up making less than they would via the current App Store revenue share agreement. In fact, some developers can end up owing more money to Apple than they make.
https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1750676475408515480″ target=”_blank” title=”(opens in a new window)” rel=”noopener
Jacob Eiting, the CEO of mobile analytics platform RevenueCat, said in a post that these new rules somehow led to a situation where, for the first time, developers could owe Apple more than they make.
But, perhaps the most interesting statement came out from ProtonMail founder and CEO Andy Yen.
ProtonMail is a popular email service that özgü long held a staunch pro-DMA stance before it even became law. In a statement, Yen made it clear that Apple is “trying to profit off of the DMA” and basically called on the EU to take action based on Apple’s policy changes.
“The European Commission can’t let this blatant bending of the rules fly,” he said.
But, will they take action? It sure seems like they would.
According to EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, who readers might me most familiar with for taking on Elon Musk over the past year, a review of Apple’s proposals will be made starting early March. And the EU will be assessing third-party feedback as well.
“If the proposed solutions are not good enough, we will not hesitate to take strong action,” Breton told Reuters in a statement.