Zapping Notes Is Not Allowed, Says Apple, As The Battle For Zaps on App Store Continues
Damus, a popular Nostr client on iOS, is still being forced to remove zap button from user posts on the App Store, as Apple considers it a way of "selling digital content."
- "This seems to be a misunderstanding by @Apple of how this feature works and what it's for. It's a critical part of the future of the internet. It has the capacity to bring people around the world into the economy without the traditional gatekeepers. Please reconsider @Tim_Cook," Jack Dorsey, CEO of Block, said, thus bringing more attention to the issue.
- Following the message, Apple has contacted Damus developer William Casarin to discuss the role of zaps in more detail. However, the call did not yield much, as Apple clarified that "only zaps on profiles are allowed."
Damus has to remove the zap button on posts because this is considered “selling digital content”. Only zaps on profiles are allowed. This cripples damus pretty bad, but you can still zap at least 😕
— Damus⚡️ (@damusapp) June 13, 2023
- "This is still incorrect @Apple. Tipping on posts is not selling digital content. It’s a form of feedback. Why limit people sending bitcoin to each other? This is our one opportunity to build a truly global payment protocol for the internet (which would benefit your company immensely)," wrote Jack Dorsey in response.
- Many users pointed out that Apple's strict policy does not make sense in Damus's case as there is no sale of digital content happening via notes.
- Per Apple's policy, payments implemented as in-app purchases face an up to 30% Apple commission fee.
- Some suggested bypassing app stores altogether by building progressive web apps (PWAs) that can be simply added onto the home screen. Others were quick to remind that it's not the first time when Apple takes an anti-Bitcoin stance, and that closed, centralized ecosystems are not ideal platforms for free, open-source and censorship-resistant software.
- Even Elon Musk chimed in on the situation, stating that "this is not a winning scenario" for Apple.
- Earlier this year, Apple was the first company to censor Damus on its platform as it was pulled from App Store in China just two days after launch.
