Lower App Store Fees in China

Apple (MacRumors):

As of March 15, 2026, changes will be made to the commission rates that apply to the China mainland storefront of the App Store on iOS and iPadOS.

The commission rate for standard Apple In-App Purchase and paid app transactions will be 25%. Currently, the rate is 30%. The commission rate for qualifying Apple In-App Purchase transactions under the App Store Small Business Program and Mini Apps Partner Program, and for auto-renewals of Apple In-App Purchase subscriptions after the first year, will be 12%. Currently, the rate is 15%.

Simon Sharwood:

Apple said the changes came “following discussions with the Chinese regulator.”

[…]

In February, the company surely perceived its Chinese business was at risk when reports suggested Chinese regulators were considering a probe into its app store commissions. Those reports saw Apple’s share price slump by around five percent.

[…]

China is a Google-free zone, so app stores operated by manufacturers of Android handsets are numerous and well-used. Apple therefore faces more competition in China than elsewhere.

The other major difference in China is the popularity of an app store run by web giant Tencent, which offers both conventional smartphone apps and “mini programs” – apps that run within the WeChat messaging application it operates.

Jeff Johnson:

The crazy thing about the App Store cut in China is how it arrived so quietly in comparison with years of court battles in the US and legislation in the EU.

Previously:

• Lower Google Play Store Fees and Registered App Stores
• “Reasonably Necessary” External Purchase Fee
• Brazil: App Marketplaces and External Payments
• Japan: App Marketplaces, External Payments, New Fee Structure
• Dutch Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Fees
• Regulatory Complaint About App Store in China
• EU App Store Tiers and Core Technology Commission
• StoreKit External Purchase Entitlement for South Korea
• App Store External Purchase Fee: 27%

Antitrust App Store Business China iOS iOS 26 Legal

Five Decades of Thinking Different

Computer History Museum (MacRumors):

Join us for a special CHM Live evening celebrating Apple’s first half-century, featuring speakers from across the eras of Apple history, including former Apple CEO John Sculley, Senior Employee Chris Espinosa, former Senior Vice President (SVP) of Hardware Engineering Jon Rubinstein (by video), and former Chief Software Technology Officer and SVP of Software Engineering Avie Tevanian.

From the early garage days of the 1970s, to the heyday of the Macintosh in the 1980s, to Apple’s transformation in the 2000s with the iPhone, the program will explore how Apple repeatedly redefined itself while holding fast to a distinctive vision.

This is really good.

Previously:

• Apple’s 50th Anniversary
• Apple: The First 50 Years (Forthcoming)
• The Mac at 40
• Joining Apple Computer 40 Years Ago
• The Source of Technote #2034

Apple AppleTalk Avie Tevanain History Interview iOS John Sculley Mac Video

Meta Acquires Moltbook

Amanda Silberling (Hacker News, Slashdot):

Meta acquired Moltbook, the Reddit-like “social network” where AI agents using OpenClaw can communicate with one another. The news was first reported by Axios and later confirmed to TechCrunch.

Moltbook is joining Meta Superintelligence Labs, a Meta spokesperson told us. Moltbook creators Matt Schlicht and Ben Parr will join the team as part of the acquisition.

[…]

OpenClaw blew up among the tech community, but Moltbook broke containment, reaching people who had no idea what OpenClaw was, but who reacted viscerally to the idea that there was a social network where AI agents were talking about them.

Previously:

• OpenClaw Developer Joins OpenAI
• OpenClaw (Formerly Moltbot)

Acquisition Artificial Intelligence Business OpenClaw (Moltbot/Clawdbot) Web