GoKawiilSouth Korea fines Apple $15.6M, Google $32M over app store payment rules
South Korea's Korea Media and Communications Commission fined Google KRW 42.9 billion ($32 million) and Apple KRW 20.81 billion ($15.6 million) for violating the Telecommunications Business Act. The regulator's investigations, begun in 2022, found both companies forced in-app payment methods, charged a 26 percent commission on third-party payments, blocked external payment options, and delayed app reviews without explanation; Apple was also found to calculate commissions differently for Korean versus overseas developers.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The ruling orders both companies to permit external payments and overhaul app review processes, extending to South Korea practices they already allow in the US and EU, which could pressure other regulators to demand similar changes. The finding that Apple treated domestic and overseas developers differently on commission calculations may invite further scrutiny of how uniformly global app store rules are actually applied.
- Google fined $32 million and Apple fined $15.6 million by South Korea's communications regulator
- Violations included forced in-app payments, 26% third-party commissions, and blocked external payments
- Both companies must now allow external payments and revise app review procedures, with Apple also told to end developer discrimination
Source: engadget.com — Mariella Moon, 2026-10-29
Published there as: “Apple and Google fined in South Korea over app store violations”
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