South Korea fines Google and Apple over app-store payment practices
publishers 18articles 22first reported 28 Oct, 07:33 UTCdeveloping since 28 Oct · 5 editions
South Korea’s Korea Media and Communications Commission fined Google and Apple a combined 63.7 billion won on Wednesday for violating rules governing app-store payments and reviews.
The regulator imposed a 42.9 billion won fine on Google and a 20.81 billion won fine on Apple. It said the companies abused their dominant market positions by steering developers toward their own billing systems and making third-party options commercially unattractive. Although alternative billing was technically available, developers faced a 26% commission alongside their own processing costs and other restrictions, the commission found.
The watchdog also said both companies unfairly delayed some app reviews without adequately explaining the reasons or providing completion timelines. Apple was additionally penalized for calculating commissions in a way that charged South Korean developers more than overseas developers between 2015 and January 2023.
Corrective orders require the companies to permit external payment links within apps, revise restrictions affecting alternative billing and improve review procedures. Google must change its user-experience guidelines for third-party payments, while Apple must end its requirement that developers submit separate apps to offer alternative payment methods. Both companies must submit compliance plans within one month and implement changes within three months.
Google said the decision did not account for recent policy changes expanding payment options and reducing fees. Apple said it disagreed with the ruling, believed its changes complied with South Korean law and was reviewing its next steps.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 7 with the publisher's own text; 6 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 6 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 18
- Source articles
- 22
- Given to the writer
- 8, 7 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 6
- This version written
- 6 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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