South Korea is poised to become the first country to ban Apple and Google from locking developers into the use of their payment systems.
Apple and Google are both facing pressure over their respective app stores, and especially over the fact that they try to force developers to use their payment systems exclusively. Doing so ensures developers continue to pay the companies the 30% commission they charge for apps, in-app purchases and ongoing services. Both companies are facing lawsuits in the US, but South Korea is set to take even more drastic action.
According to AFP, South Korea’s National Assembly is set to vote on a bill — the “Anti-Google Law” — that would force Apple and Google to allow users to choose which payment service to use when making purchases.
“This law will certainly set a precedent for other countries, as well as app developers and content creators worldwide,” Kang Ki-hwan, Korea Mobile Internet Business Association, told AFP.
If the bill passes, it will likely encourage countries around the world to take up similar measures.