Telegram stops support for pay-to-view posts after Apple complains it can’t charge for them

The move only applies to the iOS version of the Telegram client, stopping users from accessing pay-to-view posts still visible on Android.

Telegram has removed the option to create and distribute pay-to-view posts from the iOS app, accommodating the App Store’s much stricter policies. According to CEO Pavel Durov, content authors active on the platform already use alternative methods of remuneration, such as donations and payments brokered through services run by non-Telegram providers, so removing the pay-to-view option will be only a minor inconvenience for them.

Instead, appearing as an official solution for remunerating paid content distributed on Telegram , the pay-to-view option was easy for Apple to attack, with the iOS developer unhappy that it could not charge up to 30% for payments made for content accessible through external platforms. The argument would be that the Telegram app is listed in the App Store catalog. Therefore any payment, even initiated from an otherwise completely free app, must be charged by Apple.

Apple does not allow developers to use third-party payment processors in their apps and charges a fee of up to 30% for any in-app purchases. As noted by 9to5Mac , Telegram appears to have initially tested a paid posts feature, as noted by social networking consultant Matt Navarra .

Meanwhile, Apple is once again being accused of monopolistic practices and abuse of dominance by taking actions that run counter to the interests of iOS users. However, except for the EU territory and to a lesser extent, India, the legislation that should discourage these practices is rather “thin”.

This isn’t the first time Telegram developer and Apple have been at loggerheads. In August, Durov blamed Apple for delaying one of the updates by several weeks , because the company challenged Telegram’s new Telemoji, which dresses up standard emoji with fun animations. Telegram also recently launched its $4.99/month premium subscription, which gives users access to exclusive features, along with a $1 discount if you purchase it through its desktop site, because, as Telegram explains , “payments are not subject to Apple or Google fees. “