Epic Games and Match Group have both come out against Apple’s App Store guidelines and voiced their support for the antitrust investigation against it by the EU Commission.

Among other things, Epic Games is the creator of the popular game ‘Fortnite’ while Match Group is the owner of apps like Tinder and Hinge. The latter has to pay Apple a 30% cut whenever one subscribes to Tinder or Hinge from the iOS app. Similarly, Epic Games has to pay Apple a 30% cut for the revenues generated through IAPs inside its games.

Below is the statement issued by a Match Group spokesperson on the matter:

“Apple is a partner, but also a dominant platform whose actions force the vast majority of consumers to pay more for third-party apps that Apple arbitrarily defines as ‘digital services.’ We welcome the opportunity to discuss this with Apple and create an equitable distribution of fees across the entire App Store, as well as with interested parties in the EU and in the U.S.”

Apple’s App Store guidelines also prohibit the Epic Games store coming to the App Store. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed in a tweet that the company will be looking to level the playing field for all and that it is not just looking for a special deal for itself. He also noted that Apple’s “extractive fees” has nothing to do with security. “The iOS App Store’s monopoly protects only Apple profit, not device security,” he said.

Here Apple speaks of a level playing field. To me, this means: All iOS developers are free to process payments directly, all users are free to install software from any source. In this endeavor, Epic won’t seek nor accept a special deal just for ourselves.https://t.co/A4sT1eMKMm

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 17, 2020

A number of app developers have been voicing concerns about the App Store policies. In some cases, the 30% cut is a lot of money and Apple tends to interpret and set the App Store guidelines in such a way that gives its own apps and services an unfair advantage over other its competition. Earlier this week, Apple rejected an app update for the Hey.com email app from Basecamp founders until it added IAP support. The move came despite the EU Commission launching a formal antitrust investigation against Apple for its App Store policies.

Spotify was the first major app developer to have raised its voice against the App Store guidelines. It filed a complaint against Apple with the EU Commission and even launched a ‘Time to Play Fair’ campaign.

It is only a matter of time before more and more app developers start voicing their displeasure over Apple’s App Store guidelines and how it bullies them using it. Do you think Apple is being a bully with its App Store guidelines?