What Others Are Saying

HG HARRY GESTETNER
CEO, FANFIX

It definitely hurts our business [not being native], and we’re just absolutely praying and pushing that something gets done to resolve this situation and end Apple’s monopolistic and predatory behavior.” (For the Record Podcast)

CP Carl Pei,
CEO, Nothing

It’s clever, it reduces competition, but I think as the most valuable tech company in the world you should be able to compete on other things.” (Nothing YouTube)

PV Pavel Durov
Founder, Telegram

Apple and Google impose an insane 30% sales tax on all digital goods sold on every mobile phone in the world. The result – users pay higher prices, start-ups and entire industries get destroyed or never appear. Regulators have been ignoring this absurdity for 10 years. (X)

SG Scott Galloway
Podcaster + Journalist, Vox

When Spotify has to pay 30% vig to the monopoly around the app store, they just can’t compete with Apple Music. Which in my view is just an inferior product and for the last two years has been growing faster than the superior original gangster and that is Spotify. If Spotify can’t compete then how on earth can anyone else compete? (Pivot Podcast)

AK Sen. Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate

This, to me, cries out for some rules of the road, because monopolies will do what monopolies want to do, and it hurts people eventually.” (PBS)

KC Kat Cammack
U.S. House of Representatives

On the Apple store, on the Google Play store, that marketplace, I believe, is the next frontier of suppression. We saw what they did in deplatforming Parler. All of the companies have a different negotiated contract. Facebook for example, to host their app on the App Store, it’s a dollar a year. But if you’re Spotify, if you’re Match.com, if you’re eHarmony — name your app. You have to give 30% of your gross profit plus all of your data to Apple. I am actually working on a bill right now called the App Marketplace Fairness bill…. Apple hates me right now. (Rumble)

EM Elon Musk
CEO, X

App store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly. It is a hidden 30% tax on the Internet. (X)

DH David Hansson
Founder, Basecamp

I think that they should allow application makers the choice, the choice to opt out of their payment system. Because the payment system is incredibly expensive. It is 30% of revenue compared to credit card processing that is generally 1.8 to 2.4% which is what we normally pay. (CNBC)

BD Barry Diller
Chairman + Senior Executive, IAC + Expedia Group

Overcharged in a disgusting manner. If you go through, let’s say the equivalent of an app store credit card the transmission cost is about 2%. That’s what credit companies charge to the producer. Here Apple says ‘oh no 30%’… I mean the idea that they actually justify it by saying ‘we put in all this money by protecting the app store’ — it’s criminal… (CNBC)

AF Andrew Ferguson
U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman

I think that President Trump got it right in the first term. We need to enforce our competition and consumer protection laws very vigorously across the economy. I think that matters most in places like Big Tech because we all interact with Big Tech, and we saw, in 2020, what can happen when market power is converted to social and political power. (Washington Reporter)

MV Margrethe Vestager
Former European Commissioner for Competition

It’s about our choice as consumers… it should also be possible for you just to have a direct relationship with your service provider… without the 30% Apple service fee…” (CNBC)

OG Lord Offord of Garvel
U.K. House of Lords

[The UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill] will be vital in driving growth, innovation and productivity and in protecting consumers.” (Apple Insider)

TB Thierry Breton
Former European Commissioner for Internal Market

…We also have many questions on Apple’s new business model for app stores… And if our investigations conclude that there is lack of full compliance with the DMA, gatekeepers will face heavy fines.” (European Commission)

SYC Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
European Parliament Committee Chair

Apple cannot continue to move their fees around to deter competition and avoid giving better deals to EU consumers. If we don’t want that to set a precedent for the DMA, the Commission should not accept Apple’s behavior and should punish these circumvention tactics!” (X)

DK Daisuke Korenaga
Tohoku University Professor

Competition is hardly visible in the smartphone OS market, because of an effective duopoly by the two firms. Apple and Google control competitive behavior and user’s choice in their own ecosystems, so if (the new regulations) can create open doors in the walls surrounding their ecosystem, it would attract new competitors, facilitate innovation and possibly lower prices for app users.” (Japan Times)

RB Sen. Richard Blumenthal
U.S. Senate

Apple’s ironclad grip on the iPhone & mobile market clearly raises prices on consumers & undercuts the next generation of tech rivals.” (X)

MZ Mark Zuckerberg
CEO / Founder, Meta

So the number of [iPhone] sales, I think, has generally been flat to declining. So how are they making more money as a company? Well, they do it by basically like squeezing people and having this 30 percent tax on developers. (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)

RV Rick VanMeter
Executive Director, Coalition for App Fairness

Right now if you subscribe to a digital service through an app on your phone Google and Apple take a commission of 15-30% off that. Developers should be allowed to offer payment options to their users just like Uber and Amazon and other apps already do today. (Voice of Iowa)

AS Andrew Schulz
Podcast Host

They [Apple] got greedy. What if it’s 30% of the app and once you’re in game it’s 10%, I don’t think any of them are balking at 10%, but when you go 30 and it’s already in the game…but once you’re inside take a smaller cut. (Flagrant Podcast)

DS David Sacks
Venture Capitalist + Yammer Founder

As long as Tech MAGA (Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon) have unlimited power to engage in bundling and to act as gatekeepers of competitive products, there cannot be a healthy startup ecosystem. (X)

CP Chris Pavlovski
CEO, Rumble

For us as a company, the app stores are so important and having these large tech companies be able to have a strangle on the app stores, not only they can choose what can go in the App Store and they own those highways, but they also have a competitive advantage which isn’t fair to the companies like ours if we want to be competitive for the consumer and you want us to be competitive. You want Rumble to charge a lower fee so Dan can get more money from his tips but if the stores are taking 30% off the top right away, it’s almost impossible to compete on that front. (Rumble)

JS Jared Sine
Chief Business Affairs and Legal Officer, Match Group

Apple and Google are using their monopoly power to dictate how apps operate, how much they will be forced to pay and, in many cases, if they will even survive. (Variety)

TS Tim Sweeney
CEO, Epic Games

Apple has introduced an anticompetitive new 27% tax on web purchases. Apple has never done this before, and it kills price competition. Developers can’t offer digital items more cheaply on the web after paying a third-party payment processor 3-6% and paying this new 27% Apple Tax. (X)

MG Merrick Garland
Former U.S. Attorney General

Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.” (U.S. DOJ)

JR Jasmine Rice
Co-Founder + CEO, Fan House

If you’re comparing Apple to the web, the web doesn’t charge people to have browsers on it. Yeah it charges domain fees, but none of that fee becomes 30% of an individual contractor. (CNBC)

JR Joe Rogan
Podcaster

There’s so much of what Apple does that I don’t like and one of the big ones is the way they do that Apple store — where they charge people 30 percent. That seems so insane that they can get away with doing that. (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)

AMW Angela Mills Wade
Executive Director, European Publishers Council

For years, press publishers have grappled with Apple and Google’s restrictive app store policies, including tactics to prevent competition in app distribution and payment solutions, and the imposition of unfair and discriminatory fees. (European Publishers Council)

AY Andy Yen
CEO, Proton

You can of course, always try to regulate your way to solutions but that often isn’t very sustainable. It’s not practical for some of the government agencies to come in and tell Apple you can only charge 6% on the app store. What we actually want is a market driven solution. So you can imagine today Apple could charge 40% if we allowed Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, PayPal or liquid processors to also do mobile payments that you can actually enter a regime for the markets and market economics can set the correct prices. (For The Record Podcast)

VP Victoria de Posson
Secretary General of the European Tech Alliance

If the Digital Markets Act ends up meaning Apple and Google charge developers more, rather than less, it will make a complete mockery of the EU’s goal of reining in these gatekeepers. The Core Technology Fee is a blatant attempt by Apple to maintain their revenues in the face of this regulation. It’s unacceptable and we count on the Commission to prevent Apple from applying it. (European Tech Alliance)

LM Lisa Monaco
Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General

It’s about creating a fair economy that promotes competition, helping as many people as possible build their dreams.

It’s about the millions of consumers worldwide who are hurt by Apple’s policies intended to shield their destructive impact on the global economy.

But don’t just take it from us–take it from the companies, creators and lawmakers speaking out on this issue.

This fight isn’t just about Spotify.

It definitely hurts our business [not being native], and we’re just absolutely praying and pushing that something gets done to resolve this situation and end Apple’s monopolistic and predatory behavior.” (For the Record Podcast)

It’s clever, it reduces competition, but I think as the most valuable tech company in the world you should be able to compete on other things.” (Nothing YouTube)

Apple and Google impose an insane 30% sales tax on all digital goods sold on every mobile phone in the world. The result – users pay higher prices, start-ups and entire industries get destroyed or never appear. Regulators have been ignoring this absurdity for 10 years. (X)

This, to me, cries out for some rules of the road, because monopolies will do what monopolies want to do, and it hurts people eventually.” (PBS)

App store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly. It is a hidden 30% tax on the Internet. (X)

I think that they should allow application makers the choice, the choice to opt out of their payment system. Because the payment system is incredibly expensive. It is 30% of revenue compared to credit card processing that is generally 1.8 to 2.4% which is what we normally pay. (CNBC)

It’s about our choice as consumers… it should also be possible for you just to have a direct relationship with your service provider… without the 30% Apple service fee…” (CNBC)

[The UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill] will be vital in driving growth, innovation and productivity and in protecting consumers.” (Apple Insider)

…We also have many questions on Apple’s new business model for app stores… And if our investigations conclude that there is lack of full compliance with the DMA, gatekeepers will face heavy fines.” (European Commission)

Apple cannot continue to move their fees around to deter competition and avoid giving better deals to EU consumers. If we don’t want that to set a precedent for the DMA, the Commission should not accept Apple’s behavior and should punish these circumvention tactics!” (X)

Apple’s ironclad grip on the iPhone & mobile market clearly raises prices on consumers & undercuts the next generation of tech rivals.” (X)

So the number of [iPhone] sales, I think, has generally been flat to declining. So how are they making more money as a company? Well, they do it by basically like squeezing people and having this 30 percent tax on developers. (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)

Right now if you subscribe to a digital service through an app on your phone Google and Apple take a commission of 15-30% off that. Developers should be allowed to offer payment options to their users just like Uber and Amazon and other apps already do today. (Voice of Iowa)

They [Apple] got greedy. What if it’s 30% of the app and once you’re in game it’s 10%, I don’t think any of them are balking at 10%, but when you go 30 and it’s already in the game…but once you’re inside take a smaller cut. (Flagrant Podcast)

As long as Tech MAGA (Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon) have unlimited power to engage in bundling and to act as gatekeepers of competitive products, there cannot be a healthy startup ecosystem. (X)

Apple and Google are using their monopoly power to dictate how apps operate, how much they will be forced to pay and, in many cases, if they will even survive. (Variety)

Apple has introduced an anticompetitive new 27% tax on web purchases. Apple has never done this before, and it kills price competition. Developers can’t offer digital items more cheaply on the web after paying a third-party payment processor 3-6% and paying this new 27% Apple Tax. (X)

Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.” (U.S. DOJ)

If you’re comparing Apple to the web, the web doesn’t charge people to have browsers on it. Yeah it charges domain fees, but none of that fee becomes 30% of an individual contractor. (CNBC)

There’s so much of what Apple does that I don’t like and one of the big ones is the way they do that Apple store — where they charge people 30 percent. That seems so insane that they can get away with doing that. (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)

For years, press publishers have grappled with Apple and Google’s restrictive app store policies, including tactics to prevent competition in app distribution and payment solutions, and the imposition of unfair and discriminatory fees. (European Publishers Council)

No matter how powerful, no matter how prominent, no matter how popular — no company is above the law.” (Axios)

We’re proud members of the Coalition for App Fairness, which aims to create a level playing field for app businesses and give people freedom of choice on their devices.

What Others are Saying

It’s about creating a fair economy that promotes competition, helping as many people as possible build their dreams.

It’s about the millions of consumers worldwide who are hurt by Apple’s policies intended to shield their destructive impact on the global economy.

But don’t just take it from us–take it from the companies, creators and lawmakers speaking out on this issue.

This fight isn’t just about Spotify.

It definitely hurts our business [not being native], and we’re just absolutely praying and pushing that something gets done to resolve this situation and end Apple’s monopolistic and predatory behavior.” (For the Record Podcast)

It’s clever, it reduces competition, but I think as the most valuable tech company in the world you should be able to compete on other things.” (Nothing YouTube)

Apple and Google impose an insane 30% sales tax on all digital goods sold on every mobile phone in the world. The result – users pay higher prices, start-ups and entire industries get destroyed or never appear. Regulators have been ignoring this absurdity for 10 years. (X)

This, to me, cries out for some rules of the road, because monopolies will do what monopolies want to do, and it hurts people eventually.” (PBS)

​​App store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly. It is a hidden 30% tax on the Internet. (X)

I think that they should allow application makers the choice, the choice to opt out of their payment system. Because the payment system is incredibly expensive. It is 30% of revenue compared to credit card processing that is generally 1.8 to 2.4% which is what we normally pay. (CNBC)

It’s about our choice as consumers… it should also be possible for you just to have a direct relationship with your service provider… without the 30% Apple service fee…” (CNBC)

[The UK Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill] will be vital in driving growth, innovation and productivity and in protecting consumers.” (Apple Insider)

…We also have many questions on Apple’s new business model for app stores… And if our investigations conclude that there is lack of full compliance with the DMA, gatekeepers will face heavy fines.” (European Commission)

Apple cannot continue to move their fees around to deter competition and avoid giving better deals to EU consumers. If we don’t want that to set a precedent for the DMA, the Commission should not accept Apple’s behavior and should punish these circumvention tactics!” (X)

Apple’s ironclad grip on the iPhone & mobile market clearly raises prices on consumers & undercuts the next generation of tech rivals.” (X)

So the number of [iPhone] sales, I think, has generally been flat to declining. So how are they making more money as a company? Well, they do it by basically like squeezing people and having this 30 percent tax on developers. (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)

Right now if you subscribe to a digital service through an app on your phone Google and Apple take a commission of 15-30% off that. Developers should be allowed to offer payment options to their users just like Uber and Amazon and other apps already do today. (Voice of Iowa)

They [Apple] got greedy. What if it’s 30% of the app and once you’re in game it’s 10%, I don’t think any of them are balking at 10%, but when you go 30 and it’s already in the game…but once you’re inside take a smaller cut. (Flagrant Podcast)

As long as Tech MAGA (Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Amazon) have unlimited power to engage in bundling and to act as gatekeepers of competitive products, there cannot be a healthy startup ecosystem. (X)

Apple and Google are using their monopoly power to dictate how apps operate, how much they will be forced to pay and, in many cases, if they will even survive. (Variety)

Apple has introduced an anticompetitive new 27% tax on web purchases. Apple has never done this before, and it kills price competition. Developers can’t offer digital items more cheaply on the web after paying a third-party payment processor 3-6% and paying this new 27% Apple Tax. (X)

Consumers should not have to pay higher prices because companies violate the antitrust laws. If left unchallenged, Apple will only continue to strengthen its smartphone monopoly.” (U.S. DOJ)

If you’re comparing Apple to the web, the web doesn’t charge people to have browsers on it. Yeah it charges domain fees, but none of that fee becomes 30% of an individual contractor. (CNBC)

There’s so much of what Apple does that I don’t like and one of the big ones is the way they do that Apple store — where they charge people 30 percent. That seems so insane that they can get away with doing that. (Joe Rogan Experience Podcast)

For years, press publishers have grappled with Apple and Google’s restrictive app store policies, including tactics to prevent competition in app distribution and payment solutions, and the imposition of unfair and discriminatory fees. (European Publishers Council)

No matter how powerful, no matter how prominent, no matter how popular — no company is above the law.” (Axios)

We’re proud members of the Coalition for App Fairness, which aims to create a level playing field for app businesses and give people freedom of choice on their devices.

App store fees are obviously too high due to the iOS/Android duopoly. It is a hidden 30% tax on the Internet. (X)