South Korea Expected To Pass Anti-Google Legislation

Earlier this month, it was reported that South Korean lawmakers had put forth a proposal that would effectively disrupt how Apple and Google run their respective app stores. It would force both companies to allow third-party payment systems to be used, meaning that developers would have a choice whether or not they want to use Apple or Google’s services, and not pay them the 30% cut.

Now according to a new report from Reuters (paywall), it looks like there is a very good chance that this so-called “Anti-Google” law will be passed. The report claims that South Korea’s legislation and judiciary committee is expected to approve the amendment made to the Telecommunications Business Act, which is then expected to be voted on by the National Assembly of South Korea.

Unsurprisingly, Apple is not happy about these potential changes and told Reuters that the legislation “will put users who purchase digital goods from other sources at risk of fraud, undermine their privacy protections, make it difficult to manage their purchases.” They also suggest that this will ultimately result in user trust in the App Store to fall, which in turn could affect nearly half a million registered developers in the country.

The implications will also be bigger than just South Korea where it could also spur other countries to pass similar laws as well.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: Android, Apps, Google, iOS, Legal