According to the App Store rules updated Friday, developers
can now contact consumers directly about alternative payment methods, bypassing
Apple's commission of 15 or 30 percent.
They will be able to ask users for basic information, such
as names and e-mail addresses, "as long as this request remains
optional", said the iPhone maker.
Apple proposed the changes in August in a legal settlement
with small app developers.
But the concession is unlikely to satisfy firms like
Fortnite developer Epic Games, with which the tech giant has been grappling in
a drawn-out dispute over its payments policy.
Epic launched a case aiming to break Apple's grip on the App
Store, accusing the iPhone maker of operating a monopoly in its shop for
digital goods or services.
In September, a judge ordered Apple to loosen control of its
App Store payment options, but said Epic had failed to prove that antitrust
violations had taken place.
For Epic and others, the ability to redirect users to an
out-of-app payment method is not enough: it wants players to be able to pay
directly without leaving the game.
Both sides have appealed.
Apple is also facing investigations from US and European
authorities that accuse it of abusing its dominant position.
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