Meta is advising smaller advertisers to purchase their ads through Facebook’s webpage rather than through the Facebook or Instagram apps for iOS. As a result, they will soon not have to pay a new Apple service fee.
According to Bloomberg, Meta Platforms is trying to convince smaller advertisers that they can purchase their ads or post boosts through Facebook or Instagram’s webpages instead of directly through the platforms’ iOS app.
Facebook says that this way, advertisers avoid the extra commission Apple plans to impose soon. The Cupertino-based tech giant would require advertisers to use its own In-App Purchase feature when, for example, they want to “boost” a social media post for more exposure. On these “in-app purchases,” the tech giant would charge a 30 per cent service fee.
Meta says that it must conform to Apple’s new requirements because it wants to retain the ability to boost posts. At the same time, however, it urges customers to then just purchase these boosts through the websites of its social services and thereby avoid the service fee.
Apple’s move was announced in 2022. Meta and Apple had been discussing this for the past few years, but Apple is thus holding firm.
According to Apple, it is well known that it has requirements for in-app sales in its App Store, and this move is consistent with them. It sees boosting posts on social media, in this case on Meta’s platforms via an in-app transaction, simply as trading digital goods. This means that this involves the commission applied elsewhere as well.
Also paying upfront
In addition to paying commissions, advertisers (especially small ones) will soon also have to pay for ads in advance when they do so via iOS apps. This policy can also be avoided through the company’s own Meta websites. The new Apple policy should take effect in the U.S. later this year. After that, it will be rolled out to other countries as well.
Also read: Apple makes sideloading more dangerous than necessary to favour its App Store
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