Apple apparently told Facebook not to tell users that it takes 30% of their money

Oh, how the tides have turned. We haven’t gone this long without negative Facebook news in, like, ever. Now Facebook may be the good guy in a scenario, with Apple on the receiving end of criticism… from Facebook. 

Earlier this year Facebook was developing a new feature that would allow entertainment industry peeps and influencers to charge fees for live streams through Facebook. According to Facebook, this feature is designed to help small businesses during the global pandemic. Even more, the social media platform wouldn’t take any cut from the proceeds, so individuals and businesses can pocket all of it… until Apple stepped in. 

It’s all about the money

Apple wouldn’t approve the new Facebook feature on its devices, as the iPhone version of the app featured some sub-text detailing that Apple takes 30% of the proceeds, and that the creator/business will only make 70%. Facebook also apparently asked Apple whether it could waive its Apple Tax this time around…

“The company said it had asked Apple to waive the 30% fee the iPhone maker charges for in-app purchases so Facebook could pass on all of the event’s revenue to business owners, but that Apple declined,” TechCentral reports. 

According to Apple’s feedback, it didn’t approve the update because it included showing users ‘irrelevant’ information while referring to the message about Apple’s 30% cut. It goes against its community guidelines, they said. 

It’s interesting that, while Facebook is working to support small businesses and creators in a time of peril, Apple steps in and demands its cut. It’s understandable to enforce community guidelines when it comes to other large corporates (like Facebook, ironically), but when these tech overlords decide to do some social good and help its users, it’s still all about the money. 

In the meantime, Apple is facing numerous antitrust allegations in the US, facing a court case with Epic Games, the devs behind Fortnite, and got stuck in a spat with WordPress. It feels like everyone is coming for Apple, and isn’t it about time?

Source: The Verge