The Apple and Google app stores are now considered a duopoly, i.e. two offerings that dominate the entire market. Not only in the U.S. is there loud discussion about whether this should remain the case – and the signs are pointing to change.
For Apple, of course, this is not a good outlook for the future: The company always charges 30% commission on sales via the App Store and achieves this by simply making it mandatory to use its own billing systems. Recently, this obligation was softened somewhat, but also only for very specific apps. This is not enough for the legislature in the USA.
They want there to be ways to get apps onto the iPhone besides the Apple App Store, or – if Apple argues with security concerns – to allow app providers to offer payment methods other than those from Apple. That would be a bitter financial loss for Apple, of course.
Apple defends App Store with all possible force
So the two trillion dollar company is investing a lot of money to prevent many laws in the U.S. at the state level that would result in a restriction of the App Store. As Politico writes, Apple has so far been relatively restrained with its lobbying investments compared to other companies. However, the issue of the App Store seems so important that the company in several states havs succeeded in getting senators to vote for Apple’s interests with a lot of money and friendly persuasion.
In Georgia, there is talk of Apple withholding $25 million for a black college, for example, or that a partnership with Kia to develop self-driving cars would no longer be located in the state. So Apple’s tone is clearly getting harsher.
As always, one thing can be learned from such reports: Apple, like all companies, is in it for the money. Just because you advertise with diverse people of all skin colors in your marketing doesn’t mean you’ll behave correctly in real life. In addition, it is once again a clear indication that large companies should be taxed correctly so that the state does not become dependent on the financial power of a few companies.
