Spotify says further App Store concessions still not enough

"This is a step in the right direction, but it doesn't solve the problem."

What you need to know

• Spotify says that further changes made to the App Store by Apple are still not enough.
• The company recently confirmed it would allow reader apps further scope to direct users away from the App Store to their own sites.
• Spotify claims that the move is a step in the right direction, but that it will continue to push for a real solution.

Spotify has said that further recent changes made to Apple's App Store are a welcome step in the right direction, but don't go far enough to satisfy its demands.

Spotify's Horacio Gutierrez again took to Twitter in the wake of a settlement between Apple and the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), stating that the changes still do not go far enough to address its grievances.

Gutierrez stated "Apple's selective tweaks to its App Store rules are welcome, but they don't go far enough", recycling a Spotify table in support of the Open App Markets Act:

Apple’s selective tweaks to its App Store rules are welcome, but they don’t go far enough. #TimetoPlayFair pic.twitter.com/z3FasGsXNX

— Horacio Gutierrez (@horaciog) September 2, 2021

Spotify added a small update to the table, clarifying that point two RE forbidding restriction of communications by developers to their users inside or outside of the app as found in the settlement was too narrow in scope and wasn't applicable to all apps.

This week Apple announced changes to rules around reader apps that will be applicable worldwide from early next year:

To ensure a safe and seamless user experience, the App Store's guidelines require developers to sell digital services and subscriptions using Apple's in-app payment system. Because developers of reader apps do not offer in-app digital goods and services for purchase, Apple agreed with the JFTC to let developers of these apps share a single link to their website to help users set up and manage their account.

Apple has previously not allowed apps to include links in-app to payment pages or websites outside of the App Store, and until another recent settlement didn't even let them tell developers about different ways to pay for digital goods.

Categories: Buzz, Downloads, Freebies, Games, Music, News articles, Philippines Latest, technology, trending videos, viral trends