Li Jun: Why did Apple suddenly suspend the apple tax for three months?Because the Apple tax was kicked on the iron plate this time, and there was more than one iron plate.
On Friday (September 25), Apple announced that by the end of 2020, the suspension of commissions called the Apple tax to Facebook will be suspended.What is the Apple tax, what kind of game and the undercurrent of the Apple tax pause is suspended?
For a long time, Apple has managed and maintained mobile applications through its own operating system iOS and App Store through its own operating system iOS and App Store.Correspondingly, Apple requires applications that run on iOS mobile devices to complete the payment function through Apple's application stores and Apple Pay to complete the payment function through the application of digital products in the iOS mobile device, and charge the corresponding commission costs.This commission fee is called Apple App Store Tax by the application developers on iOS. The specific proportion is: the purchase of general digital products and collecting 30%of the total order of the entire order; 30%of the subscription service in the first year, and then the renewal fee will be charged 15 15%.The reason why it is called taxes is because almost all IOS mobile devices in -app purchases need to be drawn the same proportion commission by Apple, regardless of your user scale and service type.
On the one hand, for small and medium -sized developers, Apple is a manufacturer who occupies an advantageous position, and it is difficult to play with it. On the other hand, 30%of the charging paid is not a small number.Some Internet header companies, even companies that are comparable to Apple, can avoid or pay apple taxes in preferentially?Unfortunately, no, and the proportion is all colleagues.The big -name applications, including Netflix, Facebook in the United States, WeChat and Weibo in China, subscribe to members and sell virtual services in the application, all pay 30%Apple tax.In order to avoid paying this heavy apple tax, Netflix has simply stopped supporting subscriptions in applications on the iOS platform since 2018.Users must order the Netflix service on the browser or PC to log in to watch on the iOS platform application.
It is precisely because of such a strong Apple tax that Apple has gradually stretched its income in service and gradually transformed from hardware manufacturers into Internet service providers.By the second quarter of 2020, Apple's service revenue had reached about 22%of the total revenue.Since the Apple tax has formed a rigid standard for childhood, why did Apple suddenly suspend and collect them for three months?Because Apple's Apple tax played on the iron plate this time, and there was more than one iron plate.
The first is Facebook, which is also an Internet giant.During the isolation of the epidemic, a large number of small and medium -sized enterprises have reduced their revenue due to the lack of digital marketing and service capabilities.In order to support the digital transformation of SMEs, Facebook announced on August 14 that it provided them with free digital marketing services.SMEs, independent content creators and educational service providers can use Facebook to continue their own business. Facebook helps SMEs and independent service providers to set service prices through online activities, carry out promotional activities, and provide payment and activities tracking functions.
By combining marketing, payment and real -time video interaction, paying online activities can meet the end -to -end demand of small and medium -sized enterprises.From expert lectures, trivial chats to podcast recording, boxing competitions, cooking training, intimate meetings, fitness groups, etc., can be carried out relying on Facebook's free digital platforms, covering more than 20 countries/regions around the world.Facebook will not charge any fees by the end of the year, and small and medium -sized enterprises will get 100 % of online revenue.This was originally a great SME support plan.
However, when paying in applications on iOS platforms, you need to face the Apple tax.Facebook and Apple communicate with Apple to avoid 30%of Apple taxes, or allow users to pay fees through Facebook's own Facebook Pay, so as to support 100%of small and medium -sized enterprises to obtain all revenue.Unfortunately, Apple directly rejected Facebook's request.In comparison, Google, another application store controller, is smarter.Although they refuse to avoid paying commissions in the same proportion of apps in the Google Play app store, Facebook allows Facebook to use Facebook Pay products to avoid 30%of the commission cost -as long as the end users choose Facebook Pay to pay fees.
Facebook designed the following cost payment instructions: Apple will be drawn 30%in the fee you pay, and Facebook will not charge any fees.There is no doubt that this explanation is to push the Apple to the front desk naked to make it face the eyes of global users contempt.Facebook also told the media that for small and medium -sized enterprises struggling in the epidemic, every dollar is important.(Quot; for Small Business STRUGGLING Through a Pandemic, Every Dollar Matters.quot;)
Another iron plate kicked by Apple is Epic Games, an Internet game manufacturer.As the developer of Fortnite, the most popular cross -platform online game fortress in the past two years, Epic Games's influence in the game industry is currently second to none, and its latest round of financing valuation has reached $ 17.3 billion.In May 2020, the registered users of the Fortress Night have reached 350 million, of which about 116 million users were on the iOS platform.
It is such a huge influence. In addition, one -third of users need to pay the apple tax when buying the game in the game, so EPIC Games is in your own game, including in the Night of the Fortress.You can complete the purchase in the application.Of course, Epic Games also provides similar features in the Android version.
Of course, this behavior will be immediately countered by Apple and Google.Apple and Google quickly removed the fortress night from their app store.But obviously the conflict between Epic Games and Apple is even more intense.On the one hand, when purchasing in the application, the requirements of the Google Play store are more loose than Apple's App Store; on the other hand, Android's openness is better than iOS. Users can bypass the application store to download the software package and install the application by themselves, or pass through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass the application through the application, or pass the application, or pass it through the application, or useDownload third -party app store.However, iOS devices must be downloaded and installed through the App Store of Apple.
Epic Games is obviously prepared.After the Fortress Night was removed from the two major app stores, Epic Games immediately filed a federal lawsuit against Apple and Google.Epic Games even prepared a promotional offensive on social platforms in advance.After the game was removed, #Freefortnite soon became the hottest label on Twitter.
Apple not only removed the Epic Games game, but also shielded the developer account of EPIC.EPIC Games, as the world's leading game developer, has an EPIC Unreal Engine, is also the core working platform for many 3D game developers.This means that Apple is on EPIC GamesThe full blocking behavior will affect a large number of game developers.
The next step is the tap of the two sides in the judicial department.EPIC Games requested Federal Judges to prevent Apple from blocking its developer account.Apple is counterclaiming Epic Games in violation of the contract, trying to bypass Apple's payment system, and ask the judge to sentence a punitive compensation, and limits EPIC Games to continue to engage in similar behaviors.
EPIC Games seems to be this time with Apple to the end in exchange for the right to be exploited by Apple tax on the iOS platform.
There is also an iron plate that is not noticed from the government.At the end of July, the CEO of the four major Internet giants Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple gathered the US Congress Anti -Monopoly Hearing, and was bombarded with mercilessness.The criticism for Apple's company mainly comes from the app store high proportion.
Faced with an upgraded antitrust review, Apple is also actively dealing with.At the Congress hearing, Apple provided relevant research data to clarify itself.Through the company's economic scientist research, it is found that the proportion of commissioning for 30%of the current Apple app store is basically the same compared with other digital service industries such as online car and apartment leasing.Of course, how persuasion this kind of justification is, only God knows.
It's not just the U.S. Congress to focus on the Apple Apple tax.The US Department of Justice is also conducting antitrust investigations on Apple's app store.In June 2020, the European Commission also launched two antitrust investigations for Apple's app store and Apple Pay services.
Facebook and Epic Games are not only Facebook and Epic Games from the government and regulators. Apple's competitors are also rubbing their fists.Spotify, the world's largest music streaming service provider, is also the biggest competitor of Apple Music. It has been reporting to the unzarate competition on the iOS platform to the regulatory authorities: the user chose Apple Music, Apple received 100%income; the user chose Spotify, and the user chose Spotify.Apple received 30%income.This makes Spotify always at the disadvantage of price competition.
Under the pressure from many parties, Apple finally couldn't stand it. On September 25, it was announced that the Apple tax was suspended for the event for Facebook, and the duration was until the beginning of 2021.Apple will allow Facebook applications to directly retrieve Facebook Pay to complete the charging process without the need to pass the Apple App Store and Apple Pay.
Facebook also announced on its official website that SMEs and independent content creators will get 100%income within three months of the remaining three months in 2020.Except for game creators, all small and medium -sized enterprises are qualified for free.And until August 2021, Facebook will not charge any fees from online payment.
Although Facebook and Apple temporarily came to an apple tax dispute, Epic Games' lawsuit, Spotify's complaints, and even the antitrust investigation by the United States and the European Union have just begun.Apple wants to keep its 30%Apple tax. At present, it seems to be relatively large.But aside from the specific tax rate, Internet giants often form a super garden when constituting their own unique ecological environment -that is, the local market that is completely controlled by itself.How to supervise the super garden to maintain the full competition of the Internet industry under the situation of comprehensive digitalization is currently a huge challenge for government regulatory authorities.
(This article only represents the author's own point of view, responsible editor: Yan Man [email protected])
