Apple Becomes a Debt Collector With Its New Developer Agreement
- Reference: 0180422953
- News link: https://apple.slashdot.org/story/25/12/19/1422210/apple-becomes-a-debt-collector-with-its-new-developer-agreement
- Source link:
> The change will impact developers in regions where local law allows them to link to external payment systems. In these cases, developers must report those payments back to Apple to pay the required commissions or fees.
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> The changed agreement seemingly gives Apple a way to collect what it believes is the correct fee if the company determines a developer has underreported their earnings. [...] In its new developer agreement, Apple states it will "offset or recoup" what it believes it is owed, including "any amounts collected by Apple on your behalf from end-users." This means Apple could recoup funds from developers' in-app purchases -- like those for digital goods, services, and subscriptions -- or from one-time fees for paid applications.
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/18/apple-becomes-a-debt-collector-with-its-new-developer-agreement/
Oh, yes. Quite! (Score:2)
I'm quite sure Apple will NEVER make a "mistake" in collecting fees it believes it's due from developers, or those that produce apps they really, really don't want on the market but can't otherwise remove.
I'm sure I'll get moderated down for expressing my opinion that I do not like Apple, never have, and consider them about as welcome as a bad case of the clap. I've a few corporations that I absolutely detest, not because of their tech, but because of their arrogance. Bad tech abounds, and is frequently t
"All your accounts are belong to us." (Score:2)
So, this is Apple saying that they can arbitrarily make up a number that they believe is a developer's income from an app, then charge them fees based on that vapor-based number, rather than charging based on actual revenue generated?
Can't wait to see which court is the first to give them a legal beating for this nonsense.
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think Apple has to make anything up. Since the purchase of the app, plus in-app sales have to be reported to Apple*, they know what you make. As it stands now, Apple is the IRS of their own walled garden.
*Barring an uncucessful challenge of recent [1]court decisions [slashdot.org].
[1] https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/12/12/1655239/apple-tax-is-dead-in-the-usa
Apple claims commision on external payments (Score:2)
Apple claims commission on external payments and can garner developers internal payments if it deems they have under-reported external earnings. In other words - a shakedown.
When Apple says you owe them money... (Score:2)
"I have altered the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."
Lol antitrust (Score:5, Insightful)
I look forwards to the posts where because Apple is not an absolute monopoly they are somehow immune to any accusations of anti-trust.
No one would ever sign up to such insane terms if Apple wasn't in such a powerful position that they could dictate such terms. In other words, their position and size in the market is such that they can enforce things that no one would be able to do without that kind of size, regardless of product quality.
Them demanding this is 100% confirmation that anti trust action is entirely warranted.
Re: Lol antitrust (Score:3)
A bit telling is that they seem to give themselves discretion of the fee amount, which implies that they believe they have some sort of proper accounting for how many external purchases made and what their amounts were.
How would they even do that in the US? The injunction explicitly denies apple the means of tracking this. Might be the same in other jurisdictions as well.
Re: (Score:2)
> by deducting them from in-app purchases it processes on developers' behalf,
If Apple is collecting money on your behalf, then they know how much you made. And they already have that money in their account, held on your behalf. So such an agreement is not a big stretch to imagine.
> among other methods.
Smart people are not going to ask Apple to handle in-app purchases for them, now that courts have told Apple to f*k off. I wouldn't even link the same bank account, at the same bank to Apple's payment system. Keep a small account linked to satisfy Apples automatic deduction systems and manage your revenue s
Re: (Score:1)
> No one would ever sign up to such insane terms if Apple wasn't in such a powerful position that they could dictate such terms. In other words, their position and size in the market is such that they can enforce things that no one would be able to do without that kind of size, regardless of product quality.
Eufy sends all images from their security cameras to a central server somewhere, whether or not you agree to it. Are they an absolute monopoly?
GM dropped CarPlay and Android Auto from all their EVs. No customer wanted or asked for this. Are they an absolute monopoly?
Subaru is popping up ads in their in-dash displays. Nobody wants this. Are they an absolute monopoly?
There is a gap in your logic.
Re: Lol antitrust (Score:3)
You still think that you have to have a monopoly, absolute or otherwise, to violate antitrust law?
Re: Lol antitrust (Score:2)
Most iFans do.