Speaking in a new interview, Phil Schiller says that the App Store creates a level playing field for developers (via Reuters).
App Store Equality
The App Store chief says that when the App Store launched in 2008 Apple created rules to treat all apps the same: “[…] one set of rules for everybody, no special deals, no special terms, no special code, everything applies to all developers the same. That was not the case in PC software. Nobody thought like that. It was a complete flip around of how the whole system was going to work.”
One rule is that apps have to use Apple’s billing system, and Mr. Schiller says the company see it as a privacy feature. “We think our customers’ privacy is protected that way. Imagine if you had to enter credit cards and payments to every app you’ve ever used.”
On Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook will appear before House lawmakers examining whether the company’s App Store rules give it an unfair advantage over third-party developers. Indeed, companies like ClassPass and Airbnb are the latest to battle with Apple over fees.
Apple has created exceptions to its rules, like in 2018 when it let companies like Microsoft use their own account systems for users as long as in-app purchases using Apple’s system are still offered.