Apple App Store guidelines remove ban on encouraging external payments in US (developer.apple.com)

Article summary

Apple has updated its App Store guidelines to allow apps to encourage users to make payments outside of the app in the US, following a court decision. This change only applies to the US storefront and does not require the External Link Account entitlement. The updated guidelines aim to provide a safe experience for users and a great opportunity for developers to be successful. The App Store has grown into a vibrant ecosystem with millions of developers and over a billion users.

Main themes

• App Store guidelines
• free markets
• regulation
• corporate interests
• consumer protection
• monopolies
• EU vs US regulatory approaches
• tech company governance

What commenters say

• The US court decision has forced Apple to make changes to its App Store guidelines, but the company is only making minimal changes to comply with the ruling.
• The concept of free markets is often misused to justify corporate interests, and true market freedom requires regulation to prevent monopolies.
• The EU is more concerned with protecting consumers, while the US is more prone to favoring business interests.
• Regulating tech companies is necessary to optimize market freedom, and a non-zero amount of regulation is required to prevent monopolies.
• Apple's actions are driven by greed and a desire to maintain its profit margins, rather than a genuine interest in providing a good user experience.
• The EU's regulations on tech companies are not necessarily beneficial for consumers, as they can stifle competition and protect entrenched local companies.
• The US military is a massive jobs program and a form of socialism, and cutting its funding would have significant economic and social implications.
• The idea of free markets is often used to justify the interests of corporations, but it is not a meaningful concept in the context of modern economies.