Apple is pressuring Tencent and ByteDance to make significant changes to two of China’s most popular apps to close loopholes that allow them to bypass Apple’s standard 30 percent commission, Bloomberg reports.

Blue Banner Chinese Flag Feature on App Store
The vulnerabilities affect mini-apps that allow users of Tencent’s social messaging app WeChat and ByteDance’s short video app Douyin to play games, order taxis and make online purchases without leaving the apps.

Apple reportedly told both companies that they must prevent mini-app creators from including links to external payment systems that bypass the commission system. Apple said it will not approve future updates to WeChat or Douyin until the companies comply.

Apple has also reportedly asked Tencent to disable in-game chats between game developers and users as they can also be used to send links. BloombergTencent reportedly opposed the idea, saying it would have a negative impact on gameplay.

The report called Apple’s actions in China “extremely aggressive,” suggesting they could escalate tensions at a time when the company’s business practices are facing scrutiny from antitrust regulators around the world.

An Apple spokesperson who contacted us Bloomberg cited the company’s guidelines that say all sales of digital goods must go through its system, and its review team can reject apps that violate that policy.

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