How big publishers are influencing the fate of the App Store

A new dossier signed Protocol was able to study in depth the functioning of the Coalition for App Fairness. This organization, created a little over a year ago, brings together several developers (Deezer, Spotify, Tile, etc.) who wish to change the conditions of use of the App Store in their favour. Several black points are thus regularly underlined by the critics within these regulations.

The association classifies them into several broad categories. On the one hand, it believes that iOS behaves in an anti-competitive way, which is confirmed by the concerns of the European Commission on this subject. A second problem, meanwhile, is the 30% tax that Apple levies on each in-app purchase, which is worth a ban to anyone who tries to circumvent it despite recent advances in this area.

Disagreements within the group?

Protocol reports, however, that even though the core mission of the coalition seems clear, some of its members would still struggle to align their discourse. When some would like to attack Apple more aggressively, others would indeed prefer to calm things down. Do they also fear sanctions against them, as was the case for Epic Games with its Fortnite video game? Perhaps…

Despite everything, the plaintiffs' strategy remains relatively well organized at first glance, as they have chosen to distribute their operations according to their expertise. Companies close to legislators, for example, are more in charge of direct lobbying while others, whose activity is more specialized in communication, interact more with the public and the media.

Large-scale hirings would also have made it possible to weigh the discussions in the balance, with in particular the case of Mark Buse at Match (Tinder, Hinge, Meetic) whose contacts with the Senate - the man worked for McCain - seem here paramount.

The United States in the sights

Also according to Protocol, the Coalition for App Fairness' exchanges with institutional players have intensified across the Atlantic, some trying to influence regulation in certain regions such as Arizona, New York or even Rhode Island and Georgia. . Work that also seems to be bearing fruit, given that none of these states has yet ratified any legislation against the App Store.