Epic Games and Spotify-backed coalition lobbies against Apple in Korea

Match Group SVP and coalition founder Mark Buse met lawmakers in the National Assembly...

What you need to know

• The Coalition for App Fairness is trying to lobby against Apple in South Korea.
• Group founder and Match Group SVP Mark Buse has met with Democratic Party lawmakers in the National Assembly.
• Korea is considering a bill that could directly impact Apple, Google, and things like the use of payment systems in marketplaces like the App Store.

The Coalition for App Fairness, backed by the likes of Epic Games, Spotify, and more is lobbying against Apple in South Korea in the hopes that the country will pass legislation curbing the power of its App Stores.

According to YNA founding member of the coalition and Match Group SVP Mark Buse met with lawmakers Tuesday:

Mark Buse, Match Group's senior vice president and a founding member of the Coalition for App Fairness, met ruling Democratic Party lawmakers at the National Assembly in support for the bill.

As the report notes South Korea is considering a new Telecommunications Business Act that could ban market operators from forcing customers and developers to use certain payment systems like the in-app purchase feature in the App Store, which gives Apple a 30% cut of each transaction on its platform. The bill is currently being reviewed by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee before it goes to a vote in the National Assembly.

Any country that takes the plunge in legislating against Apple or Google would be the first in the world to do so, possibly making other countries amenable to such measures. According to the report:

Buse expressed support for the bill, adding that it could spur more action from U.S. lawmakers. Similar movement has so far been made at a state level in the United States in around 15 states, according to Buse.

The Coalition includes Epic Games, Spotify, and companies like Tile that all believe they've been wronged by Apple's App Store policies and alleged anticompetitive behavior. These objections have most notably manifested in the Epic Games lawsuit filed against Apple, where a verdict is due any day now.