Meta explains that if they do not comply with Apple's guidelines, they would have to remove all boosted posts from their iOS apps. This would hurt SMEs that want to start growing on Facebook or Instagram, as it could deprive them of a valuable way to promote their business.
To avoid this fee, Meta is recommending that these transactions be made from desktop computers . Additionally, the social web giant has been implementing new processes on its website to facilitate impulse purchases, avoiding additional Apple charges and with the same functionality as on iOS devices.
While Apple claims that advertisers would not have access to their audiences without its platform and have the right to charge for this impact, Pedro Pavón, director of Privacy Policy and Fairness at Meta, has criticized Apple's decision, referring to it as an anti-competitive measure .
“Apple’s 30% tax gives them an unfair advantage over their competitors, making it harder for them to compete on price. None of this seems like a good outcome for users or a fair deal with competitors to me. And I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Regulators around the world are siding with app developers and consumers who will benefit from more choice and lower fees,” according to Pavón .
This is not the first time that Meta has disagreed with united states of america number data Apple's measures. At the end of 2020, both companies had differences in their visions regarding the future of advertising, when Apple reinforced the privacy of iOS devices, which directly impacted Facebook's advertising business.
So far, Meta hasn't released data on whether the fees are affecting reach buying habits on Facebook and Instagram in the US, but it's likely to push some of the buying to desktop.
It's not the best time to increase commissions
The expansion of the measure has come at a delicate time for Apple in terms of regulatory laws and pressures on its practices, both in the European Union and in the United States.
While in March this year the European Commission imposed a €1.8 billion fine on Apple for abusive conditions for music providers in the App Store, in June the judicial body warned it of a possible fine of more than €35 billion for preventing app developers from directing consumers to alternative channels for offers and content.
In addition to this, the US Department of Justice, along with 16 state and district attorneys general, filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple , for illegally maintaining a monopoly on smartphones, which limits competition and innovation.