TikTok: Coin sale could violate Apple's App Store rules
The Chinese video service has introduced a feature through which "creators" receive money. Virtual advertising is also sold to Apple under iOS.
Apple is known to be very strict when it comes to developers adhering to its App Store rules – in the event of violations, it is quite possible that programs will not be approved or will be removed from the online software store altogether. The controversial Chinese short video service TikTok may now also face this. When it introduced a new function for paying video creators, it integrated a workaround for Apple's in-app purchases – normally a clear violation.
Link to the web with an announcement
As the IT blog TechCrunch reports, the so-called coins are not only sold via the application itself, where Apple then collects a 30 percent commission. Instead, screenshots from the app show that it is also possible to buy directly on tiktok.com via a link. It is explicitly stated that "in-app service fees", i.e., in-app sales fees, can be avoided in this way, as the coins are more expensive in the app itself.
Normally, an app provider is not allowed to place such links and descriptions without specific permission. And if this is done, an app provider only saves a small part of the commission – 27 percent instead of 30 percent is then due. However, it is not possible to offer both Apple's payment service and web payment. Accordingly, TikTok is probably breaking the rules. The social video company has also built in a function that causes a large pop-up window to appear when you try to purchase the coins via in-app purchase. "You can save the service fee and get access to popular payment methods," it says.
Is TikTok just testing?
So far, the new feature has not appeared for all users. The ByteDance company only seems to be calling up the function in specific groups, such as numerous users or selected testers. But even then, Apple would have to approve this. The new behavior was first discovered by developer David Tesler. It had occurred with an account that had previously invested a lot of money in TikTok coins.
Neither TikTok nor Apple have yet commented on the app's behavior. According to reverse engineering specialist Chris Messina, the latest build of TikTok contains a string stating that you can save "up to 30 percent compared to in-app purchases".
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