Google and Apple withdrew the popular game Fortnite from their application centers after the manufacturer Epic Games decided to use its payment platform and not those of the Play Store and App Store. The first to conduct the measure was the company behind the little apple, which alleged that App Store guidelines were violated.
In response, Epic Games filed two lawsuits against the companies alleging that they conduct monopolistic practices, which escalated the conflict that began this Thursday. Both Apple and Google charge a 30% commission for processing payments to developers who use their software stores. The lawsuit against Apple specified the following:
In a statement sent to The Verge, Apple emphasized that the conditions are the same for all developers who use its App Store. Besides, he highlighted that Epic Games enabled the function in its application without being “reviewed or approved” by the company.
On the other hand, Google responded by saying that its policies are “fair to developers” and that the guidelines keep the store safe for users. Regarding Epic Games’ decision to use its system to process payments, it highlighted that the measure violated its internal policies.
The conflict started when Epic Games decided to use its in-app solution to process all user payments. The measure would allow it to offer cheaper packages (V-buck) to its players with discounts of 20%. It was not clear what the update process will look like for the new version of the game or if the move could get a reversion.
What happened with Epic Games, Apple and Google once again put on the table the issue of free competition and the practices of large companies to force the use of a specific payment method. In May 2017 that precisely Apple and Google, together with PayPal, were seeking the formula to establish greater regulation for digital payments.
At that time, it indicated that the transmission of money was a common difficulty and that much of the work conducted in the bitcoin and cryptocurrencies community was related to the new standards implemented.
Just hours after Epic Games revealed that it was going to allow in-app purchases, Apple responded by removing it from the App Store (a risky move considering Fortnite’s immense popularity and a high number of players), in the face of what the developer filed the lawsuit.
“That Apple has withdrawn Fortnite from the App Store is another example of its abuse of power to impose unreasonable limits and illegally maintain its monopoly on the market for processing payments within the applications in iOS operating systems,” they said from Epic Games in a statement.
On the other hand, Apple defends itself by claiming that its internal policy for the App Store creates an environment of equality for all developers and, at the same time, “protects” customers against possible fraud or illegal content. Concerning Android, which also takes a commission for each purchase made within the video game, Fortnite was still available on Google Play by mid-afternoon on Thursday.
By Jenson Nuñez
