Epic Games, Spotify, and Tile Form 'Coalition for App Fairness' to 'Fight Back' Against Apple

A range of companies, including Epic Games, Spotify, and Tile, have formed a new organization called the "Coalition for App Fairness," in an effort to highlight developer issues with Apple.

coalition upscale

The organization describes itself as "an independent nonprofit organization founded by industry-leading companies to advocate for freedom of choice and fair competition across the app ecosystem." The coalition is based in Washington D.C. and Brussels, and aims to lead legal and regulatory changes with regards to what it says are three key issues; "anti-competitive policies," "30 percent app tax," and "no consumer freedom."

It sets out a ten-point plan on its website for changes it would like to see made. The points include the demands that "no developer should be required to use an app store exclusively," "every developer should always have access to app stores," "every developer should always have the right to communicate directly with its user through its app," "no app store owner or its platform should engage in self-preferencing its own apps or services," and "no developer should be required to pay unfair, unreasonable or discriminatory fees or revenue shares."

The group includes Epic Games, Spotify, Tile, Basecamp, Blix, Blockchain, Deezer, the European Publishers Council, Match, News Media Europe, Prepear, ProtonMail, and SkyDemon, many of whom have had major disagreements with Apple over various issues.

The group is actively lobbying other developers to join it, saying "together we will fight back against the monopolist control of the app ecosystem by Apple."

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's Upcoming Macs Listed in New Report

Thursday July 3, 2025 9:09 am PDT by
AppleInsider's Marko Zivkovic today shared a list of alleged identifiers for future Mac models, which should roll out over the next year or so. The report does not reveal anything too surprising, but it does serve as further evidence that Apple is seemingly working on new models of every Mac, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

topgunn Avatar
62 months ago
There are blatant mistruths on the App Fairness front page. For example, "For most purchases made within the App Store, Apple takes 30% of the purchase price. No other transaction fee — in any industry — comes close."

Let's list other companies that charge a similar fee for similar overhead: Google, Steam, Amazon, UberEats, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, GrubHub, eBay+PayPal, and the list goes on, I am sure.

Another example, "If consumers want to use a modern mobile device, Apple levies a tax that no one can avoid. No competition, no options, no recourse."

Unless the Apple tax now extends to the billions of Android phones out there, this is ridiculous on its face. While I content that Apple and it's ecosystem are superior (in large part due to the App Store and it's walled garden), to say that Android-based phones are not a modern mobile device and that Apple has no competition is being willfully ignorant, at best.
Score: 163 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I7guy Avatar
62 months ago
Maybe these companies that founded this self-serving coalition ought to invent their own phone and own ecosystem? If they don't like the T&C let leave and lose those lucrative $$$.
Score: 93 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ugahairydawgs Avatar
62 months ago
I really do wish sites like this one would quit giving these guys a megaphone. Why we continue to incentivize whining with increased exposure is beyond me.
Score: 74 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CylonGlitch Avatar
62 months ago
Companies that will NEVER see another penny from my pocket.

* Epic Games ('https://www.macrumors.com/guide/epic-games-vs-apple/')
* Spotify ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/09/15/apple-one-unbundle-spotify-irreparable-harm/')
* Tile ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/05/29/tile-writes-to-eu-accusing-apple-of-abuse-of-power/')
* Basecamp ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/06/18/phil-schiller-apple-hey-decision-no-changes/')
* Blix ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/02/05/bluemail-open-letter-to-developers/')
* Blockchain
* Deezer
* the European Publishers Council
* Match
* News Media Europe
* Prepear ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/08/08/legal-action-against-company-with-pear-logo/')
* ProtonMail
* SkyDemon
Score: 65 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CylonGlitch Avatar
62 months ago

Maybe these companies that founded this self-serving coalition ought to invent their own phone and own ecosystem? If they don't like the T&C let leave and lose those lucrative $$$.
Exactly, Apple has spent BILLIONS and many years developing and producing an Eco system that is safe, secure and comprehensive. Should they NOT be paid for their work? If you don't like it, there is another eco system down the street to go play on (Android, or Windows mobile). Or better yet, spend the time and money and build your own eco system, then you can do anything you want on it.

For this, I will NEVER buy another EPIC product again, ever.
Score: 61 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
62 months ago
That’s a mouthful. I’m just going to call them the Suicide Squad.
Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)