this post was submitted on 06 May 2025

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1075

“No Apple tax means we will lower prices” - Proton announces lower prices for users by up to 30% after US ruling against Apple fees (www.techradar.com)

submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 71 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Cool! Still not gonna put all my eggs in the fascist-sympathetic basket

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[–] [email protected] 88 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

If they can charge 30% less without Apple's fees, then why are their prices the same whether you buy on their iOS app or direct on their website? Why have they been overcharging users who don't buy through the iOS app by 30% all this time?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Likely they were not allowed to by the terms they agreed to with apple.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 5 days ago

Because Apple prohibited that.

[–] [email protected] 110 points 5 days ago (4 children)

Old knowledge disclaimer, but if they didn't change it then:

Because Apple literally tells people that they're not allowed to charge less somewhere else - at least that was the case several years ago...

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 days ago (5 children)

This is the same on most platforms. You'll rarely find a product for different prices in different places because if they're listed on Amazon, Steam, Apple, Google, etc. they're not allowed to.

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[–] [email protected] 129 points 5 days ago (11 children)

Do he still think fascism is good for small businesses though?

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[–] [email protected] 361 points 5 days ago (8 children)

Yen also pointed out how such a court decision could help cut inflation in the US, too, "by dropping the price of a significant chunk of digital purchases by 30% overnight".

I bet most companies will just take that extra 30% as profit rather than giving it back to their users like proton has.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (9 children)

Yep, product prices are not based on costs but rather just the absolute maximum of what consumers are willing to pay.

Proton just seems to be an exception.

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[–] [email protected] 81 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (4 children)

Yeah, even of the companies don’t pocket the difference, he’s an idiot to suggest that this will cut inflation.

This guy is just not very smart, I think.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Or he's just shitting on other companies who he knows are too greedy to do the same. Proton is getting positive press for this and he's leaning into it with a bit of hyperbole

Not saying he's a genius or anything, he's just a spokesperson doing spokesperson things

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[–] [email protected] 112 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I think he’s a salesperson trying to sell the idea that getting rid of the apple tax is good for consumers.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 5 days ago (2 children)

getting rid of the apple tax is good for consumers.

I mean that's not wrong. I had no idea Apple was double-dipping like this. I wonder if Google is doing the same thing...

[–] [email protected] 44 points 5 days ago (8 children)

Every store does this. Even Holy Valve

[–] [email protected] 34 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (8 children)

Every company who takes a cut from in-app purchases, be it subscriptions or DLC, should be kneecapped by this ruling.

It's one thing for the hosting marketplace (App Store, Steam, Play Store, etc) to take a cut from the initial purchase of a game/app. But it's a whole other issue for that initial marketplace to keep reaching further into the dev's pockets and take a cut from in-app purchases unrelated to where it was originally obtained.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

What do you mean "double dipping"? I don't own any Apple products. I purchased through Proton's website.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

If someone purchases a Proton plan through their iOS app, Apple got a 30% cut of that. Which is stupid. Because Proton (and every other company with an iOS app) already pays Apple to simply have their app on Apple's app store.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

Proton...already pays Apple to simply have their app on Apple's app store.

Uhhh I mean they pay a $100/year developer fee, which probably doesn't even cover the infrastructure costs. Is that what you're referring to?

I'm not arguing against you, Apple should consider those costs as a service to their (overpaying) customers. I'm just not sure what other costs you're referring to.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

Is that what you’re referring to?

Yes (I thought it was more, but w/e). I'll admit, I don't know a whole lot about development and everything that it entails, but nuance is key here. Say what you will about Proton, but this ruling just set a precedent that a company hosting an app/game download cannot take a cut from purchases completed within said app/game. That affects everyone.

I'm just looking at this from a bigger picture perspective. Apple has more than enough money already, and frankly there are far too many companies like this who need to be cut back down.