Here we go again! Apple did something they should be ashamed of. And it wasn’t the first time! It’s the whole anti-competitive thing again but in a new flavour.

If this seems perplexing, let me explain. Actually, let’s refresh our minds for a bit. Back in 2020 Apple found itself entangled in legal disputes with Epic Games and Basecamp. This started when Epic Games circumvented Apple’s App Store’s payment system, leading to Fortnite’s removal from the store. Around the same time, Basecamp’s HEY email app faced a similar situation due to Apple’s anti-competitive guidelines. These conflicts stemmed from Apple's App Store policies, primarily the 30% commission on in-app purchases (IAP) and constraints on alternative payment methods, effectively monopolising the App Store. Apple mandates that all payments to app developers must pass through their system, making them the central authority controlling these transactions. In some cases this can be useful when the devs want a straightforward way of charging users. But what if you are a dev who already has a payment system in place? Well, the answer is that you don’t have a choice, you are compelled to go through Apple's for IAP! I find this extremely absurd. Why don’t devs have a choice for the payment system to implement for their iOS apps? Apple has to take their cut unless you sort payments in a browser for the service that the app offers. Which is something that Basecamp does, for example, with HEY email.

And now, fast forward to today. Basecamp submitted an app to the App Store for its new calendar app that complements the email app. Everything was in place for a 2nd January release according to DHH. But after taking many days to review, Apple rejected the app. The basis you ask? The basis is that the app does ‘nothing’. What that means is that a user can’t use the app unless they sign in. And this is where it gets interesting… lots of other apps, on the App Store, behave exactly like that. The only difference is that these belong to big conglomerate like J.P. Morgan, Netflix and Google. And there are no regulations preventing Apple from engaging in discriminatory practices. You start seeing how this is becoming utterly unfair!

I really love Apple's products, I'm a staunch supporter and you know that! I've been in the ecosystem for almost a decade now but this anti-competitive behaviour goes against their ethos of doing good for the world and encouraging great work from the Swift developers! So today, I stand with Basecamp, Jason, David and their entire development team! Can't wait start using the HEY calendar app on iOS too.

…and you gotta love wearing a HEY t-shirt while writing this ✌🏼