Apple backtracks on monetising Wordpress, apologises for forcing app to add purchases

After facing severe backlash, Apple has decided to back-off and will no longer force WordPress to monetise its free app by selling premium plans and custom domain names so as to avail its 30 percent cut.

On Friday, August 21 it came to light that Apple was forcing WordPress to monetise its free app and the Silicon Valley giant provided an apology to its users after the backlash.

Read: WordPress Founder Matt Mullenweg Claims Apple Forced Them To Add In-app Purchases

Apple offers rare on record apology

In a statement, as quoted by The Verge, Apple said that the issue regarding WordPress had been resolved as the open-source content management system decided to stop displaying service payment options. It also added that WordPress was now a free and stand-alone app that no longer supported in-app purchases.

WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg on August 22 posted a tweet stating that Apple was preventing the company from launching any form of updates to the app until it complied with their demands and allowed in-app purchases. In his tweet, Mullenweg asked his followers for suggestions about what could be done since he felt that offering in-app purchases was problematic.

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Mullenweg, while speaking to The Verge, stated that he was willing to give in to Apple’s demands and that WordPress was ready to incorporate a brand-new paid tiers system by the next month. It was only after WordPress agreed did Apple allow the company to make updates to the app.

After facing backlash, Apple backtracked on its earlier decision and WordPress did not have to implement in-app purchases. After the backtrack, Mullenweg posted a follow-up tweet and thanked Apple for reconsidering their decision.

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