Mark Zuckerberg unveils plan to bypass Apple's 30% fees

Mark Zuckerberg in front of the Facebook logo
Mark Zuckerberg in front of the Facebook logo (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Mark Zuckerberg and Meta has a new way to get past Apple's 30% App Store fees.
  • It is creating a new promotional link for creators.
  • It will let them keep more money from Subscriptions.

Mark Zuckerberg says Meta, which owns Facebook, is creating a new link that will let creators keep more money from their subscriptions without paying fees to Apple.

In a post today Zuckerberg stated:

As we build for the metaverse, we're focused on unlocking opportunities for creators to make money from their work. The 30% fees that Apple takes on transactions make it harder to do that, so we're updating our Subscriptions product so now creators can earn more. More details in the comments belowWe're launching a promotional link for creators for their Subscriptions offering. When people subscribe using this link, creators will keep all the money they earn (minus taxes).

Zuckerberg went on to say that "Creators will have more ownership of their audience" including the ability to download the email addresses of all their new subscribers.

Meta is also launching a new bonus program that will pay creators for each new subscriber they get as part of its $1 billion creator investment program.

Facebook, now Meta, has clashed with Apple over its App Store fees, which take 15 or 30% commission from App Store transactions done through in-app purchases. The companies have also squared off over changes to tracking users that have dented Facebook's advertising business.

Zuckerberg didn't go into details about the technical implementation of the new feature, which could be presented as part of Facebook's app or used on devices like iPhone, however, he clearly presented it as a way to avoid Apple's 30%/15% fees.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9