Pluralistic: Apple vs the “free market” (15 Aug 2024) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
pluralistic.net

Every artist, performer and creator on Patreon is about to get screwed out of 30% of their gross revenue, which will be diverted to Apple, the most valuable company on the planet. Apple contributes nothing to their work, but it will get to steal a third of their wages. How is this possible? Enshittification.

  • cron
    14·
    27 days ago

    The linked essay is quite long and (at least for me) hard to read. One of the first links in the article is to this patreon blog post, that summarizes the issue well.

    As we first announced last year, Apple is requiring that Patreon use their in-app purchasing system and remove all other billing systems from the Patreon iOS app by November 2024.

    This has two major consequences for creators:

    1. Apple will be applying their 30% App Store fee to all new memberships purchased in the Patreon iOS app, in addition to anything bought in your Patreon shop.
    2. Any creator currently on first-of-the-month or per-creation billing plans will have to switch over to subscription billing to continue earning in the iOS app, because that’s the only billing type Apple’s in-app purchase system supports.

    Before we go any further, we want to be crystal clear about one thing: Apple’s fee will not impact your existing members. It will only affect new memberships purchased in the iOS app from November onward.

    • nocturne@sopuli.xyz
      96·
      27 days ago

      Apple’s fee will not impact your existing members. It will only affect new memberships purchased in the iOS app from November onward.

      Which is contradictory to the first line of the linked essay. Does it suck? Yes. But the author of this “article” is trying to build anti-Apple outrage with this piece. Let’s not pretend any company is altruistic. Even Patreon takes a cut.

      • tb_@lemmy.world
        3·
        25 days ago

        Which is contradictory to the first line of the linked essay.

        Is it though?
        Current sign-ups are likely through Patreons own payment system, which will stay as it is. It would be like signing up in the web version, then going on to use the iOS app. That wouldn’t suddenly subtract 30% from a payment Apple has no control over.

        • nocturne@sopuli.xyz
          2·
          25 days ago

          Is it though?

          Every artist, performer and creator on Patreon is about to get screwed out of 30% of their gross revenue, which will be diverted to Apple

          Yes, it makes it sound as though everyone is about to start losing the 30% to Apple No matter how their subscribers pay. Which if you read patreon’s blog post you will see is not the case.

          • tb_@lemmy.world
            1·
            25 days ago

            Ah, like so. I thought you were referring to the article on the Patreon website with your initial comment, rather than the article in the post itself.

            You’re right, the article is wrong. “Gross revenue” makes no sense.

      • corsicanguppy@lemmy.caEnglish
        3·
        26 days ago

        Both sides?

        If we want to talk mercenary companies, though, apple is pretty high on the FuckYouBuyMore scale.