South Korea’s government has approved a bill regarding alternative app store payment methods by Apple and Google., reports Reuters.
The rules, called the enforcement ordinance, will be put into effect on March 15. They specify that the law bars “the act of forcing a specific payment method to a provider of mobile content” by unfairly utilizing the app market operator’s status, the regulator Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said in a statement.
In August 2021, South Korea’s National Assembly passed a law saying the tech giants have to open their app stores to alternative payments. The law amends South Korea’s Telecommunications Business Act to prevent large app-market operators from requiring the use of their in-app purchasing systems. It also bans operators from unreasonably delaying the approval of apps or deleting them from the marketplace.
In November, Apple told the South Korean government that it’s already complying with the new law and did not need to change its App Store policies. However, the government wasn’t satisfied.
