The App Store is a digital distribution platform, developed and maintained by Apple Inc. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 3 (Korea Bizwire) — A large number of South Korean mobile app developers experienced unfair transaction practices from mobile app stores including the Google Inc.’s Play store and Apple Inc.’s App Store, the antitrust regulator said Tuesday.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission carried out a fact-finding survey with 500 local mobile and accommodation app developers, with 40 percent of the companies revealing that they experienced unfair transaction practices from app platforms.
By platform, the share of those who said they had experienced unfair transactions with Google Play stood at 39.9 percent, compared to 45.1 percent for the Apple App Store and 26.8 percent on One Store.
By type of unfair practice, 23.6 percent (multiple answers possible) said that they experienced delays in registration procedures or suffered from uncertainty over the standard app registration, followed by 21.2 percent who said they experienced discriminatory treatment compared to large companies, and 20 percent who experienced a disadvantage simply for the use of their own payment systems.
In particular, among the mobile app developers on Google Play, 83.5 percent said that they paid a 30 percent commission to Google Play.
Another 22.8 percent said that they paid advertising expenses to app platforms to place their apps on the upper part of the screen. Roughly one third of accommodation app developers replied that they experienced unfair transaction practices.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
