During Senate hearing, Spotify and Match said Apple abuses its power over app developers, leveraging its user base; Spotify said the goal is to hurt rivals
Bloomberg : Tweets: @amyklobuchar , @econliberties , @samsabin923 , @alistairmbarr , @sentinelcentral , @annaedge4 , @issielapowsky , @tweabr , @jason_kint , @jason_kint , @pwnallthethings , @pwnallthethings , @pwnallthethings , @pwnallthethings , and @jacknicas Tweets: Amy Klobuchar / @amyklobuchar : Spotify just testified at our antitrust hearing that Apple has threatened to take them off their App Store and stop promoting them after they spoke out about Apple's monopoly behavior and high fees. @econliberties : Jared Sine at Match Group just detailed an authoritarian encounter they had w/ @Apple. One @Apple lawyer told him Match Group should be *glad* @Apple didn't take all of their revenue & said “you owe us every dime you make.” 😤 Sam Sabin / @samsabin923 : Match Group's Jared Sine after being asked about fears of testifying at today's Senate hearing on competition in Apple/Google app stores: “They could hurt us in little ways, they could hurt us in big ways.... We're all afraid is the reality, senator.” Alistair Barr / @alistairmbarr : ‘You owe us every dime.’ The App Store antitrust hearing did not go well for Apple https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @technology @annaedge4 @sentinelcentral : More information has released on the Epic vs Apple case: Earlier today, Spotify testified that Apple threatened to stop promoting & remove the company off the app store after Spotify complained about Apple's unfair app store policies. Anna Edgerton / @annaedge4 : Apple: “We don't copy, we don't kill.” https://www.bloomberg.com/... with @damclaugh @markgurman via @business Issie Lapowsky / @issielapowsky : Now Match's Sine is poking holes in the security defense. “Despite multiple requests over the years, Apple and Google still allow under age users to download our apps, even when they know they are under 18. Apple and Google actually make it harder for us to keep our users safe.” Twea / @tweabr : Information regarding Epic vs Apple Case: Spotify has testified against Apple's threats to cancel promotion and support of the app on the Apple Store after complaints from Spotify's marketing team about Apple's store policies. Jason Kint / @jason_kint : Curious as to Apple's public policy calculus. They were scorched today along with Google. Apple has the largest market cap on the planet, $200 billion in cash and if they had a more friendly App Store, they would likely be on the antitrust sidelines with Microsoft. Jason Kint / @jason_kint : We have premium publishers in @DCNorg who pay 30% of a $500 subscription and we have DCN members who pay 30% of a $20 subscription. Apple makes $150 on the former, $6 on the latter. For the same amount of work. Makes zero sense. @pwnallthethings : So if the numbers are right that Apple makes $15-$18bn for the appstore but costs $100m to run, that means they're making a 150x margin on the appstore. Or IOW, a 1% charge for exactly the same service would *still* net Apple just shy of a half-billion dollars in profit per year @pwnallthethings : “we don't favor our own apps [like Apple music that comes preinstalled] over third party apps [like Spotify that doesn't] in the search via the appstore” @pwnallthethings : “We don't look at the appstore as a separate business, we look at it as an integrated part of our entire business” ... uh, yes, that's why the antitrust committee is looking at it @pwnallthethings : Pet peeve, but the appstore cut is 30% of app /revenue/, not app /profit/. It's a much higher cut of profit. Jack Nicas / @jacknicas : “There are many, many ways they could hurt our business,” Match's Jared Sine testified about Apple and Google. “We're all afraid is the reality, senator. We're fortunate you're listening to us today.” “Well,” replied @SenAmyKlobuchar. “I hope the Justice Department is, too.”
Spotify just testified at our antitrust hearing that Apple has threatened to take them off their App Store and stop promoting them after they spoke out about Apple's monopoly behavior and high fees.
Curious as to Apple's public policy calculus. They were scorched today along with Google. Apple has the largest market cap on the planet, $200 billion in cash and if they had a more friendly App Store, they would likely be on the antitrust sidelines with Microsoft.
Jared Sine at Match Group just detailed an authoritarian encounter they had w/ @Apple. One @Apple lawyer told him Match Group should be *glad* @Apple didn't take all of their revenue & said “you owe us every dime you make.” 😤
Match Group's Jared Sine after being asked about fears of testifying at today's Senate hearing on competition in Apple/Google app stores: “They could hurt us in little ways, they could hurt us in big ways.... We're all afraid is the reality, senator.”
More information has released on the Epic vs Apple case: Earlier today, Spotify testified that Apple threatened to stop promoting & remove the company off the app store after Spotify complained about Apple's unfair app store policies.
“There are many, many ways they could hurt our business,” Match's Jared Sine testified about Apple and Google. “We're all afraid is the reality, senator. We're fortunate you're listening to us today.” “Well,” replied @SenAmyKlobuchar. “I hope the Justice Department is, too.”
We have premium publishers in @DCNorg who pay 30% of a $500 subscription and we have DCN members who pay 30% of a $20 subscription. Apple makes $150 on the former, $6 on the latter. For the same amount of work. Makes zero sense.
So if the numbers are right that Apple makes $15-$18bn for the appstore but costs $100m to run, that means they're making a 150x margin on the appstore. Or IOW, a 1% charge for exactly the same service would *still* net Apple just shy of a half-billion dollars in profit per year
Now Match's Sine is poking holes in the security defense. “Despite multiple requests over the years, Apple and Google still allow under age users to download our apps, even when they know they are under 18. Apple and Google actually make it harder for us to keep our users safe.”
“We don't look at the appstore as a separate business, we look at it as an integrated part of our entire business” ... uh, yes, that's why the antitrust committee is looking at it
“we don't favor our own apps [like Apple music that comes preinstalled] over third party apps [like Spotify that doesn't] in the search via the appstore”
Information regarding Epic vs Apple Case: Spotify has testified against Apple's threats to cancel promotion and support of the app on the Apple Store after complaints from Spotify's marketing team about Apple's store policies.