cable And its users bypass Apple’s strict payment guidelines.
The encrypted messaging platform had to crack down on iOS users who created paid posts through third-party methods because they were in violation of Apple’s payment policies.
Until recently, it was a file The messaging platform allowed channels to prepare paid content (Opens in a new tab) Through the help of payment bots. Telegram wasn’t testing a new feature. The company has simply, and without fanfare, allowed creators to use a payment system that is independent of Apple’s clutches. Content creators can set prices and let their fans directly support them. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said in a recent post (Opens in a new tab) That content creators will get “nearly 100 percent of the amount their subscribers pay…” However, all of that fades once Apple is surprised by the payments and isn’t happy they didn’t get the 30 percent tax cut.
full control
Durov says that since “Apple has complete control over its ecosystem,” the developer has no choice but to disable paid posts on iOS. Presumably, if it doesn’t, Telegram will be removed from the App Store.
Durov continues to accuse Apple of destroying developers’ dreams and “[crushing] Entrepreneurs who are subject to a higher tax than any government value-added tax (VAT). He called on regulators around the world to take action against a “trillion dollar monopoly.” [abusing] dominance of the market.
Telegram states that it will continue to work on new tools for creators to “monetize their content – outside of Apple’s restrictive ecosystem”. For example, the app store fee for Telegram Premium was recognized by allowing users to subscribe via PremiumBot at a discount (Opens in a new tab). We’ve reached out to the developer and asked what’s going to happen on Android. From the looks of it, paid posts will continue to appear on Android devices. This story will be updated if we hear back.
History repeats
If this all sounds really familiar, it’s because something similar has happened before.
In 2021, video game developer Epic Games sued Apple after the latter pulled Fortnite from its App Store. Based on reports, Epic “violated its agreement with Apple” by allowing players to purchase in-game currency through third-party methods and circumventing the 30% tax. The judge in the case ultimately ruled in favor of Apple, but the court’s appeal continues to this day.
Since the lawsuit, we’ve started to see other entities speaking out against Apple. you have the Likes Spotify (Opens in a new tab) The tech giant has been described as “anti-competitive” due to App Store rules that make purchasing an audiobook extremely complicated. Newfound Twitter Wrangler Elon Musk said in May (Opens in a new tab) That 30 percent is “ten times higher than it should be” and South Korea saw that, too. The nation passed a law last year Forcing Apple and Google to allow developers to use third-party payment systems and not pay exorbitant taxes.
The current state of the App Store is such a hot topic that it was arguably the envy of the industry at one point, but the overall sentiment has changed. Be sure to read our latest work An opinion piece on why the Apple App Store is affecting the iPhone experience.