Apple reportedly asks Tencent to close WeChat ‘loopholes’ and circumvent App Store rules

A new report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple is pushing Tencent and ByteDance to eliminate “loopholes” that allow their apps to bypass the App Store’s in-app purchase system. Tencent has reportedly claimed that it is in talks with the Cupertino company and wants terms that are “commercially viable” and “fair.” Currently, Tencent does not use Apple’s in-app purchase system for mini-apps and games available in WeChat. It reportedly uses loopholes to direct users to external payment systems. This allows Tencent to avoid paying the infamous 30% “Apple tax.”

Tencent is currently in talks with Apple to reach an agreement. Tencent Chief Strategy Officer James Mitchell said that talks with Apple are ongoing and that if no agreement is reached, the current status quo would remain.

Apple has reportedly threatened to block future WeChat updates if Tencent doesn’t back down. These “discussions” remind me of what happened with Epic Games, but hopefully it won’t be like that in this case. Apple has power over the App Store (understandably, it created it for itself) and it’s a tough opponent, so let’s hope the two companies agree on a win-win situation.