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Facebook Says Apple In-App Fees Hurt Businesses During Covid

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August 17, 2020 at 12:18 p.m. EDT
iPhone X Photographer: Michael Short/Bloomberg (Photographer: Michael Short/Bloomberg)

Facebook Inc. joined a growing list of developers to publicly criticize Apple Inc. over its revenue-sharing policy for in-app purchases, suggesting the iPhone maker’s fee structure is hurting small businesses during a global pandemic.

The social network on Friday rolled out a paid events feature in 20 countries, offering businesses the ability to charge users for access to live video streams, like a yoga class or seminar. Facebook said that Apple didn’t agree to waive its usual 30% fee for all transactions that take place within apps on its devices, and won’t let Facebook process the payments using its own technology for iOS users.