Apple will abide by new rules in South Korea that ban app store owners from forcing developers to use their own in-app payment systems.
We reported on the new law last September, which amended existing telecoms legislation in South Korea. Now the Korea Herald reports that Apple will “provide an alternative payment system at a reduced service charge compared with the current 30 percent charge”, based on plans submitted by the company to regulator the Korea Communications Commission.
“We look forward to working with the KCC and our developer community on a solution that benefits our Korean users,” said Apple in a statement.
This is clearly a local solution in response to local laws, so it does not have a direct effect on pressure elsewhere in the world (including from the likes of Spotify and Epic Games) for Apple to allow alternative payment systems in its App Store.
However, there could be an indirect impact, if regulators and politicians elsewhere see South Korea as encouragement to push for a similar opening-up in their own countries.
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