Apple Apologizes To WordPress, Won't Force the Free App To Add Purchases After All (theverge.com) 36
NoMoreACs shares a report: On Friday, the internet erupted in a small way to learn that Apple had successfully forced WordPress to monetize its free app -- forcing it to sell premium plans and custom domain names seemingly just so that Apple could get its traditional 30 percent cut. But one afternoon and evening of surprise and outrage later, Apple is backing off. The company is issuing a rare on-the-record apology, and it says that WordPress will no longer have to add in-app purchases now that all is said and done.
Here's Apple's full statement: "We believe the issue with the WordPress app has been resolved. Since the developer removed the display of their service payment options from the app, it is now a free stand-alone app and does not have to offer in-app purchases. We have informed the developer and apologize for any confusion that we have caused." You'll notice that Apple is positioning this as the developer -- WordPress -- having done the right thing and removed the "display of their service payment options from the app," and to my knowledge that is technically true. But as far as I'm aware, that didn't happen today: it happened weeks or months ago.
Here's Apple's full statement: "We believe the issue with the WordPress app has been resolved. Since the developer removed the display of their service payment options from the app, it is now a free stand-alone app and does not have to offer in-app purchases. We have informed the developer and apologize for any confusion that we have caused." You'll notice that Apple is positioning this as the developer -- WordPress -- having done the right thing and removed the "display of their service payment options from the app," and to my knowledge that is technically true. But as far as I'm aware, that didn't happen today: it happened weeks or months ago.
Fanboys (Score:5, Funny)
Where's the Apple apologists from the Epic/Microsoft threads? Let's see how they spin this one.
Re:Fanboys (Score:5, Informative)
In this case, since Apple itself apologized, would the apologists be here to defend Apple's apology and suggest that it was one of the best apologies ever delivered?
Frankly, Apple needed to apologize here. Wordpress had already tried to resolve things privately and gotten nowhere, despite appealing the initial, ridiculous decision. My best guess is some series of Apple drones in their app review department thought they were just doing their job through some sort of twisted logic, regardless of the fact that this was a ludicrous demand they were making, and that the issue never got escalated out of that chain of command until Wordpress went to the press.
Kudos to Wordpress for doing so and kudos, I guess, to Apple for backing down instead of doubling down, but this never should have happened in the first place. Something is broken in Apple.
Re:Fanboys (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: Fanboys (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Fanboys (Score:2)
Apple apologized for the inconvenience, didn't change anything, WordPress updates app to follow existing rules.
"WordPress -- having done the right thing and removed the "display of their service payment options from the app,""
The app was selling things outside the App Store, they removed that part, app got accepted. Their other option was to add IAP for those things.
No rules changed, or exceptions made, right? What did Apple do wrong here? They are saying sorry for your confusion.
Re: (Score:2)
The app was selling things outside the App Store
No, the app was not. Their site was selling things outside the App Store, just as it always has and is allowed to do. But the Wordpress app has a built-in browser, just like tens of thousands of other apps in the App Store, and some reviewer in Apple used the built-in browser to deliberately navigate to Wordpress' site, was able to reach the page where for-pay options were available, and declared that Wordpress owed them a cut because it was possible to reach those options from within the in-app browser. Ne
YOU are confused (Score:4, Insightful)
We have informed the developer and apologize for any confusion that we have caused.
Translation: We're sorry-not-sorry that you were confused so we apologise for your confusion.
Which is the same as SNL's Sean Spicer saying [youtu.be] "Now I'd like to begin today by apologizing on behelf of you to me for how you've treated me these past two weeks. And that apology is not accepted"
Re: (Score:2)
Well, that's what happens when the lawyers get to a sentence ahead of publication.
What is going on here? (Score:1)
I'm not usually one to get all bent out of shape about grammar, but that sentence is a mess. My brain hits "the internet erputed in a small way to learn" and then hits the damn reset button.
Maybe if "to" was "when it" though even that feels wrong. Se
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
Wonder how Apple got confused here (Score:3)
These articles sure are lacking a lot of detail.
Apple would block apps that link to a page talking about payments - but as stated, that page had been removed from the Wordpress app some time ago.
I wodne if the app reviewers somehow navigated to it from an app linked page and that made them state it was violating the rule? If so that would be a mistake on the part of a reviewer...
Or, did Wordpress actually change anything about what they submitted that wasn't going through?
Sure would be nice to have someone investigate more details on this, in part because then other app developers would know better what set of Apple's internal alarms.
At least it was resolved simply without lawyers...
Re: (Score:3)
Sure would be nice to have someone investigate more details on this, in part because then other app developers would know better what set of Apple's internal alarms.
Agreed.
I will say that Apple's responses to this situation up until this seemed both arrogant and tone-deaf. However, I also understand that the App Store must be quite a behemoth to manage, what with roughly 2 million apps available [lifewire.com]. I'm sure almost all of the processing is automated - it HAS to be - but it seems pretty obvious they need to throw more humans at parts of the stack to catch issues like this earlier - so that a developer's only recourse isn't to hope someone in the tech media will pick up the
Re:Wonder how Apple got confused here (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple's response was tone deaf and arrogant, because Apple is tone deaf and arrogant. This wasn't a mistake, this was an attempt to strong arm the company. Unfortunately for Apple it came out at the same time as Epic made their move, so it looked particularly bad. Had it happened a month ago they would have stuck to their guns and demanded a cut.
Apple is basically the mob here, telling you that it would be a shame if anything happened to your nice store. Except the actual mob provided some value, since they'd chase away the other gangs from their territory. Here they're just going for blood.
Re: Wonder how Apple got confused here (Score:5, Insightful)
Then Apple Insider is throwing Apple a softball. What a surprise.
It doesn't count as "quickly and amicably" if you have to first complain to the press in order to get the wheels turning.
So Apple is a Monopoly! (Score:3)
"Since the developer removed the display of their service payment options"
You can not market, advertise or sell on their platform to make money UNLESS they get 30% of the gross transaction total.
That is WHY Apple is now a 2 Trillion dollar company.
Remember this is not a share of profit. Apple, Amazon etc, etc are all taking their cut off gross transaction totals.
Which makes the little guy, who is forced to use these platforms get and even smaller cut of their thin margins.
We will see if big tech can make this stick. My bet is on the big boys. After all they can just kick each little guy off.
What are they going to do about it.
BTW that is why, I only do in-house Apple development for clients who choose to pay the Apple Premium for tech.
I could be putting apps in the app store but why? These app stores are just closed marketing walled gardens.
Best to just stay away even for your personal stuff.
Re: (Score:2)
A) Having a monopoly is not illegal. Making money from having a monopoly is not illegal. Illegally abusing your monopoly to make money in another domain is illegal.
B) Apple is clearly not a monopoly since the Google App Store exists. There's an entire competing ecosystem to which developers and users are free to move. If devs move to Android, users will eventually be starved for apps and move to follow.
Re: So Apple is a Monopoly! (Score:2)
B) Apple is clearly not a monopoly since the Google App Store exists. There's an entire competing ecosystem to which developers and users are free to move. If devs move to Android, users will eventually be starved for apps and move to follow.
Except for one thing: Almost all Devs. flock to the Apple App Store(s) because they know that history has shown that Android Users are primarily seeing what they can get for free.
Re: (Score:2)
That doesn't make Apple a monopoly. That makes them a better competitor. If (and I severely doubt this ever happens) the Android environment collapses for lack of devs, then Apple would become a monopoly.
Re: (Score:2)
Except for one thing: Almost all Devs. flock to the Apple App Store(s) because they know that history has shown that Android Users are primarily seeing what they can get for free.
So you are saying that the App Store is more attractive? Well, that doesn't make it a monopoly, does it?
Re: (Score:2)
70% of the revenue.
profit is what you have after you've paid for the developer salaries, toolkits, offices, coffee etc.
Re: So Apple is a Monopoly! (Score:2)
I could be putting apps in the app store but why? These app stores are just closed marketing walled gardens.
You're an idiot.
As long as the customers are inside of the Garden with you, and with their wallets in hand; WTF do you care what other Apps they can install, so long as they can install yours!
Any other position is just being some kind of kooky digital martyr.
Re: (Score:2)
kooky well maybe
digital martyr god no! I am to lazy for that waste of time.
I'm just not interested in the lock in and the hoop jumping required. I stopped doing any Microsoft dev work 15+ years ago for the same reason.
Re: (Score:2)
well, having a link that points to other services (unrelated to the app, hosting wordpress have nothing to do with managing a wordpress), that some can be paid is already a bad initial base for apple. But apple complained and wordpress removed that long ago... yet apple still wanted either have the 30% cut or have the wordpress app block. That is blackmail, not a mistake, specially after several weeks trying to explain there was anymore any link to a payed service and that the app was free, so 30% of zero
Continue (Score:1)
Tim Apple: "Oh, and also you are not holding your phone wrong. Steve derped that one."
Meh (Score:1)
Bad reporting (Score:3)
Apple rejected the app, as would be expected, and told WordPress how to fix it. Either make it an in-app purchase, or remove it from the app. WordPress decided to do the latter. The app was reviewed again, passed the review, and got accepted. This is something that happens for lots of apps all the time. The get rejected, get changed, get accepted.
Of course this was blown out of all proportion by some people. The apology was for "causing confusion". In other words, Apple is really sorry that some members of the press confused themselves. And also that some slashdot readers are confused.
Epic is different. That's war. Epic started it. Epic will lose.
Re: (Score:2)
What actually happened: Someone at Wordpress didn't read the AppStore guidelines and somewhere in the middle of the app allowed you to buy domain names. There was no good reason to do that inside the app, except someone thought it was a good idea. According to the AppStore guidelines, this had to be an in-app purchase.
OH this is the new lie??
Nope, the app never allowed you to buy domain names. Apple wanted to force WordPress to add it, so they could take a percentage cut..