Proton Sues Apple Over 'Artificial and Arbitrary' App Store Fees

[MacRumors]

Swiss company Proton today filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing Apple of violating U.S. antitrust law. Proton is technically joining an existing May 23 class-action lawsuit against Apple that includes several Korean developers, but it has filed its own legal complaint. Proton is known for Proton Mail, an email service that uses client-side encryption for security.

In a blog post explaining the decision to file against Apple, Proton said it wants to make sure that a future settlement or ruling in the class-action suit affects "real changes" to Apple's App Store policies rather than just "cosmetic changes." The lawsuit Proton is joining is seeking monetary damages for developers, but Proton said that any funds it receives will be donated.

Proton claims Apple's App Store fees encourage the "surveillance capitalism business model" used by companies like Meta and Google, while harming smaller privacy-focused companies that don't monetize data. Free apps that exploit data don't pay Apple's fees, but apps that offer services in exchange for money do have to give a cut to Apple.

Proton believes that Apple's control over the App Store gives it too much power over app distribution, which Proton says is an issue when Apple has to comply with government app removal requests in different countries.

Finally, Proton suggests Apple's policies disadvantage end users by controlling the information that developers can provide to customers and by increasing prices that consumers pay. Proton says that it has been unable to link to FAQs and customer support pages from its apps because of Apple's restrictions on links, which is a worse experience for consumers. Proton also argues that it is unable to offer lower prices to customers because it has to pay Apple's fees.

The remedies we are seeking would address many of the social ills mentioned above, ensuring that the internet of the future can continue to protect privacy and democracy. Mobile apps are now the dominant platform of the internet and the way the bulk of the world interacts with one another and with the web. Even if app stores started out as niche markets, today they are a critical component of the internet and fundamental to democracy. It is more essential than ever that we fight to create mobile ecosystems that are truly free, competitive, and not beholden to whichever dictator corporate leaders are currently bowing down to.

Proton's filing includes a long list of requested App Store changes that it asks the court to put in place, including support for distributing apps through alternative app marketplaces and websites, and using alternative payment methods.

Article Link: Proton Sues Apple Over 'Artificial and Arbitrary' App Store Fees

 

[MacUserFella]

What a surprise, not

 

[HouseLannister]

Reading the proposed injunctions is always hilarious in how hard they overreach.

“Require Apple to allow users to manage subscriptions purchased outside the App Store—such as those made via developer websites—through the user’s iOS device, including cancellation, plan changes, and upgrades”

They already provide this solution. It’s called Safari.

 

[chrono1081]

These idiot developers are going to ruin things for the rest of us. Too many people don't remember what it was like before things like app stores existed and how incredibly expensive it was to host your own app. 15% - 30% is NOTHING compared to the 70% - 90% it cost you to do all that yourself back in the day, and you didn't have any chance of going viral.

To have a platform that you can just host on and have it take care of distribution, payment processing, refunds, tax information, and free development tools is incredible. Proton should just give their service away for free since they think everyone else should do the same.

App stores are incredibly expensive things to run, especially since a lot of the apps make no money but still utilize the resources.

 

[TheSynchronizer]

Sued yet again for creating a shop, setting rules for selling in the shop, allowing others to sell in the shop, and then enforcing the shops rules.

 

[cupcakes2000]

They certainly are not wrong in what they say.

 

[breenmask]

Proton should develop for my platform. I charge 99% fees and developer keeps 1%.

They will develop for my platform because I told them to. They will like it. 100% forced. Because that's how the free market works.

 

[tgwaste]

These idiot developers are going to ruin things for the rest of us. Too many people don't remember what it was like before things like app stores existed and how incredibly expensive it was to host your own app. 15% - 30% is NOTHING compared to the 70% - 90% it cost you to do all that yourself back in the day, and you didn't have any chance of going viral.

To have a platform that you can just host on and have it take care of distribution, payment processing, refunds, tax information, and free development tools is incredible. Proton should just give their service away for free since they think everyone else should do the same.

App stores are incredibly expensive things to run, especially since a lot of the apps make no money but still utilize the resources.

I wish they were free so that I could use them over google. Actually free, not pretend free.

 

[spaxxedout]

We all know who uses protonmail 😏

 

[Plerf]

Watching Apple play legal defense in areas they will lose (eventually) is disheartening.

I believe the walled garden should be allowed to exist, but I acknowledge I’m probably on the wrong side of both popular opinion and what little I understand of the law.

So long as Android exists and is competitive and successful, I wonder what the monopolistic problem is.

 

[Chaos215bar2]

Sued yet again for creating a shop, setting rules for selling in the shop, allowing others to sell in the shop, and then enforcing the shops rules.

You don't mind if I buy all the land around your home and setup shop, do you?

You'll free to buy whatever you want at whatever price you're willing to pay, so long as it's something I sell at the price I set. Sounds like a great arrangement to me.

I'll even let other people sell their products through the shop for a reasonable percentage!

 

[HouseLannister]

Isn’t Proton a nonprofit? If they have enough money to take on Apple, they are definitely making some profit.

 

[neuropsychguy]

We all know who uses protonmail 😏

People?

 

[Unami]

Sued yet again for creating a shop, setting rules for selling in the shop, allowing others to sell in the shop, and then enforcing the shops rules.

Also for preventing anyone else to create a shop on one hemisphere. Don't like it? Move to the other one, but leave your stuff here.

 

[klasma]

Sued yet again for creating a shop, setting rules for selling in the shop, allowing others to sell in the shop, and then enforcing the shops rules.

Ah, but it’s as if your building contractor set up a shop in your house, and you’d only be allowed to buy from that shop for what you use in your house.

 

[aidler]

Proton is a fantastic service. They have my full support.

 

[Crash0veride]

Proton claims Apple's App Store fees encourage the "surveillance capitalism business model" used by companies like Meta and Google, while harming smaller privacy-focused companies that don't monetize data. Free apps that exploit data don't pay Apple's fees, but apps that offer services in exchange for money do have to give a cut to Apple.

This is the the most interesting part of the claim. Apple's store model definitely incentives invasive monetization while Apple simultaneously touts its privacy focus.

 

[krakenrelease]

We all know who uses protonmail 😏

Ppl like me who value security? Remember when celebrities were hacked on iCloud? Proton mail is actually a great app and it's better than Apple Mail.

 

[krakenrelease]

Isn’t Proton a nonprofit? If they have enough money to take on Apple, they are definitely making some profit.

Reading is fundamental. They are joining a class action lawsuit, but filing a separate complaint.

 

[paradox00]

Watching Apple play legal defense in areas they will lose (eventually) is disheartening.

I believe the walled garden should be allowed to exist, but I acknowledge I’m probably on the wrong side of both popular opinion and what little I understand of the law.

So long as Android exists and is competitive and successful, I wonder what the monopolistic problem is.

Can’t install Android apps on an iPhone. That makes it a different app marketplace. Can’t migrate all of your paid iPhone apps to Android. Again, a different app marketplace. Must replace your Apple Watch when switching to Android. High barriers to switching marketplaces. More active iOS devices than there are Windows 10/11 computers means it’s as serious an antitrust issue as that…

I don’t understand why this is so difficult to understand. The iPhone itself isn’t a monopoly, but the store obviously is. The iPhone competes against Android Phones. That makes them part of the same market and not a monopoly; but that doesn’t apply to the App Store and Google Play/Play Services. They don’t compete and are both effective monopolies on their respective OS platforms and they are two of the largest software platforms on the planet.

 

[cupcakes2000]

Isn’t Proton a nonprofit? If they have enough money to take on Apple, they are definitely making some profit.

Being a non profit company doesn’t mean they don’t make any money. They just don’t make money for profit. They still have to run their business, and certainly a company like proton - a big part will be employing lawyers.

 

[cartmn]

Forgot to mention that they are also requesting to allow alternative app stores

 

[klasma]

Isn’t Proton a nonprofit? If they have enough money to take on Apple, they are definitely making some profit.

No, Proton is a public holding. But that’s beside the point, because nonprofits are allowed to make a profit, they just aren’t allowed to distribute that profit to private individuals (shareholders).

 

[turbineseaplane]

Remember rule #1

Apple is right.

All the companies, countries and jurisdictions around the world taking legal & regulatory action against Apple are "wrong."

 

[canadianreader]

These idiot developers are going to ruin things for the rest of us. Too many people don't remember what it was like before things like app stores existed and how incredibly expensive it was to host your own app. 15% - 30% is NOTHING compared to the 70% - 90% it cost you to do all that yourself back in the day, and you didn't have any chance of going viral.

To have a platform that you can just host on and have it take care of distribution, payment processing, refunds, tax information, and free development tools is incredible. Proton should just give their service away for free since they think everyone else should do the same.

App stores are incredibly expensive things to run, especially since a lot of the apps make no money but still utilize the resources.

Amazon app is hosted by Apple and is among the most downloaded apps yet they don't pay 30% tax same goes for Uber. In this case small devs like Proton are paying the hosting for big tech.