Before Hey, WeChat tried to take on Apple’s App Store policies

Some small online businesses are caught in a scuffle between Apple and Tencent over in-app purchases in WeChat

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WeChat is China’s biggest social media platform with 1.2 billion monthly active users worldwide. (Picture: Shutterstock)

Published: 5:00am, 25 Jun 2020Updated: 2:11pm, 25 Jun 2020

Apple is yet again facing scrutiny for what some say are anti-competitive practices related to its iOS App Store policies. The debate over the company’s 30% cut of in-app purchases has long frustrated developers around the world. This has even been true in China, where the policy has pitted it against health care providers and local tech behemoth Tencent.

The flashpoint this time around was the email app Hey from developer Basecamp. Apple rejected an update for Hey because it didn’t offer a way to pay within the app, which would give Apple a cut of the revenue. This reignited a debate about Apple’s power over developers, with competitor Microsoft piling on by calling for regulators to take a closer look at app store policies. The EU has also opened antitrust investigations into Apple’s App Store rules.

It seems no matter where Apple goes, it faces similar complaints. That’s certainly true in China, where Apple continues to enjoy an avid fan base while also facing disgruntled developers.

In 2017, a Chinese law firm representing 28 local developers filed a complaint against Apple. The plaintiffs alleged Apple abused its market power and violated China’s Anti-Monopoly Law by removing apps without proper explanations and levying heavy fees.

It’s not clear how Chinese authorities addressed the complaint. Lin Wei, the managing partner at Beijing’s Dare & Sure Law Firm who led the complaint, didn’t respond to our questions about the case.

A woman in a face mask walks past an Apple store in February while it was temporarily closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Picture: AP)