“In China, where Western-owned online services like Facebook and Google have long been blocked, Apple’s app store is a lucrative exception,” Amy Qin reports for The New York Times. “Apple offers gaming, dining and dating apps in a country where most rivals are locally owned — and where it can reap big fees from iPhone users.”
“That business is now facing a number of threats,” Qin reports. “The latest came this week, when a law firm representing more than two dozen app developers asked the Chinese authorities to investigate whether Apple’s app store policies violated local pricing and antitrust laws.”
“While it is not clear whether the government will respond, the call follows several other developments that have put a spotlight on the software and content that Apple offers in China,” Qin reports. “They include tighter regulations from the country’s censors and a high-profile public spat with a powerful and deeply connected Chinese internet giant, Tencent Holdings.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Where’s the monopoly when Apple iPhone are vastly outnumbered by crappy Android phones? If you don’t like Apple’s App Store terms and policies, go peddle your app for Android. Good luck!
SEE ALSO:
Apple’s App Store business model may be in danger in China – August 9, 2017
Misunderstanding Apple Services – August 7, 2017
Dispelling the Apple Services myth – May 3, 2017
Apple’s Services business: $7 billion in revenue last quarter alone – May 3, 2017
Apple’s Services (App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay) business is an unstoppable juggernaut that’s still just gathering strength – May 3, 2017
MacDailyNews presents live notes from Apple’s Q217 conference call – May 2, 2017
Apple Q217 earnings beats on EPS, misses on revenue – May 2, 2017
I said there’d be blowback from Apple’s braindead beancounter decision to force a 30% cut on the “tipping” that was happening between users within an app.
Fire the idiots that made that decision, which painted a huge red target on Apple’s back for regulators in one of their largest potential market. Wanting to earn a few thousand dollars more per month from 30% cuts on these tips, will cost the company millions in legal fees and lost goodwill.
The Chinese government has a lot of nerve. Especially when they break laws with impunity and thumb their noses at any objection. Bunch of hypocrites and bastards.
What kind of laws are the Chinese government breaking with impunity? That’s a pretty big brush you just used to paint them with, so too many other countries, including the US, were covered with it.
South China Sea. They think it belongs to them, ignoring International law. That is just one of many.
“MacDailyNews Take: Where’s the monopoly when Apple iPhone are vastly outnumbered by crappy Android phones? If you don’t like Apple’s App Store terms and policies, go peddle your app for Android. Good luck!”
The ‘lack’ of competition of App stores offering iOS Apps is what I believe is being seen as a monopoly regardless of how big or small the iOS device share is in China.
Apple is subject to the whims of Chinese politicians. It’s not about ethics or laws, but bribes and politics.
Yes.
As I have stated before, Apple’s only weapon is the threat of moving production elsewhere. They can leverage local players who would be adversely affected by moving production out of China. It’s a powerful threat. But Apple has to use caution when it comes to public disputes.