Facebook will not take a cut of revenue from creators who make money on its platforms until 2023, CEO and cofounder Mark Zuckerberg announced.
And Zuckerberg promised that when Facebook does begin collecting a cut of revenue from creators, it will be less than the 30% that Apple and others take (although he didn’t specify what the percentage would be).
“To help more creators make a living on our platforms, we’re going to keep paid online events, fan subscriptions, badges, and our upcoming independent news products free for creators until 2023,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post Monday. “And when we do introduce a revenue share, it will be less than the 30% that Apple and others take.”
The “independent news products” referenced by Zuckerberg will let writers self-publish their content and make money using tools starting with subscriptions and newsletters, as the company announced earlier this year.
The social giant’s pledge to take no fees from Facebook and Instagram creators for the next year and a half — and more specifically Zuckerberg’s swipe at the 30% Apple “tax” — is part of a public fight between Facebook and Apple that has escalated in the past year.
Facebook has complained about the 30% share of revenue that Apple’s App Store requires for in-app purchases, and it’s not alone. “Fortnite” maker Epic Games, for one, has sued Apple alleging the tech giant imposes monopolistic terms through the App Store; the judge’s ruling in that case is pending. Meanwhile, Facebook has blasted Apple’s iOS privacy changes that require users to opt in to enable ad-tracking capabilities, arguing that the change will hinder the ability of small businesses to target prospective customers.
Also Monday, Facebook introduced a new payout interface “to help creators better understand their payouts,” according to a company rep.
Starting with paid online events, creators will see what their payouts will be after taxes, refunds and in-app purchase fees from purchases made on iOS and Android devices, where applicable. The payout interface will initially launch only on the web for paid online events.
