Some of the biggest news publishers in the US have joined the Coalition For App Fairness, the advocacy group which is campaigning for a level playing field across the major app stores.
Digital Content Next (DCN), a representative of The New York Times, Bloomberg, Associated Press, The Financial Times, ESPN and many more, has become the 50th official member of the CAF.
According to company data, its members combine to reach the entire US population. Consumers have access to media content on a subscription basis, which DCN claims are unnecessarily expensive due to the 30% ‘Apple Tax’.
CEO Jason Kint told TechCrunch: “DCN is pleased to join the Coalition for App Fairness working to establish a fair and competitive digital landscape.
“The premium publisher members of DCN enjoy trusted, direct relationships with consumers, who don’t expect intermediaries to impose arbitrary fees and rules which limit their ability to consume the news and entertainment they love.”
The CAF was formed after ‘Fortnite’ developer Epic Games tried to bypass Apple’s fees and offer in-game currency at a discounted rate. Match Group was one of the founding members of the organisation.
Facebook is also getting more involved in the dispute and has committed to assisting Epic Games in the discovery process of its lawsuit.
The social media giant criticised Apple’s latest policy changes for the iOS 14 update, specifically the new limits on personalised adverts. Facebook said small businesses will be disproportionately harmed, and revealed research that indicates a 60% drop in sales without targeted advertising.
Last month, Apple halved its mandatory commission rates for smaller businesses. Developers that annually bring in less than $1 million now only have to pay 15% to help them through the current times of economic uncertainty.
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