GARM Gone; Amazon Partners with TikTok and Pinterest; Epic Games and Spotify Speak Out Against Apple’s Revised DMA Compliance Plan

by Aimee Newell Tarín on 12th Aug 2024 in News

On today’s news digest: GARM Gone; Amazon Strikes E-Commerce Deals with TikTok and Pinterest; Epic Games and Spotify Speak Out Against Apple’s Revised DMA Compliance Plan

Last week, X lashed out at the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and those associated with the organisation with a federal lawsuit claiming they had been unlawfully boycotting the platform. In response, the WFA has announced its intention to shut down the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, its non-profit initiative. The initiative was set up in 2019 with the aim of addressing digital safety; its priorities involve enhancing transparency in digital ad placements. Although the WFA plans to contest X’s allegations in court, GARM’s limited resources to fight the case led to the decision to disband it – a blow to the industry.

In the retail sector, Amazon has struck deals with TikTok and Pinterest which will let users purchase products directly from it without having to leave the social platforms. The move sets out to make shopping on social media more convenient. By linking their TikTok and Pinterest profiles to their Amazon accounts, users will be able to buy products directly from ads. The feature will display real-time pricing, Prime eligibility, delivery estimates, among other details.

In the antitrust arena, Apple’s newly revised compliance plan for the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is coming under fire. The plan includes the introduction of two new fees which will be applied to developers who refuse Apple’s new DMA terms. An “Initial Acquisition Fee” is designed as a commission for connecting users with the app through the App Store which applies during the first year. The “Store Services Fee” goes towards funding Apple’s App Store operations, charged on a yearly basis. Spotify accused Apple of making the proposal “deliberately confusing”, and blatantly disregarding the requirements of the DMA. Epic Games also called Apple’s revisions out as being unlawful.