SEOUL: South Korean MPs on Aug 31 passed a law banning Apple and Google from forcing app developers to use the tech giants’ payment systems, effectively declaring their lucrative App Store and Play Store monopolies illegal. The Korean law – locally dubbed the “Anti-Google Law” – will offer users a choice of app payment providers, allowing them to bypass charges set by the store owner. In South Korea, it is also planning to charge commission on all content payments from October, ending an exemption where commissions were only payable for online games. The two tech giants dominate the online app market in South Korea, the world’s 12th largest economy known for its technological prowess. Apple’s App Store had a 24.4% share of total app store sales in the country in the same year.
