Month: July 2022

Other recipients will include Olympians Simone Biles and Megan Rapinoe, former US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and actor Denzel Washington.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House said Friday, recognizing his accomplishments as the head of Apple and Pixar, as well as his leading role at the Walt Disney Company.

“His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries,” the White House said in a statement.

President Joe Biden’s recognition for Jobs marks the latest of accolades the former Apple CEO has received since he died of cancer in 2011. He received an Edison Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, honoring the “successful development and launch of game-changing new products and services” as well as his “lasting contribution to innovation.” In 2013, Jobs received a Disney Legends Award for his contribution “to the Disney legacy” as Pixar’s CEO and later a board member.

The announcement came the same week that marked the 15th anniversary of the launch of the original iPhone.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the US. Basketball star Michael Jordan received the honor in 2016, as did entertainment Oprah Winfrey in 2015 and feminist activist Gloria Steinem in 2013.

Others have received the award posthumously, including civil rights giant the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1977 and music legend Elvis Presley and baseball great Babe Ruth, both in 2018.

This year’s presentation ceremony is set for July 7 at the White House. The 17 recipients will also include two Olympic gold medal winners, gymnastics icon Simone Biles and soccer star Megan Rapinoe, as well as former US Rep. and gun-safety advocate Gabrielle Giffords and actor Denzel Washington.

Developers won’t be able to use App Store features including Ask to Buy and Family Sharing if they forgo the tech giant’s payment system.

Apple said on Thursday that apps exclusively released in the South Korean App Store can use third-party payment systems to take in-app payment. The move comes after South Korea last year amended its Telecommunications Business Act, which banned app stores from forcing developers to use its first-party payment systems. Google complied with the law in November, and now Apple follows suit.

The South Korean law clamps down on app stores in an effort to rein in tech giants, who’ve been called out for their monopoly over in-app payments. Apple, in particular, has been criticized for the commission it charges to use its payment system, which critics have dubbed the “Apple Tax.” The tax gives Apple up to a 30% cut on subscriptions and in-app purchases. This has been the source of many developer complaints throughout the years.

Though developers can request to use a third-party payment system for apps exclusively distributed in South Korea, Apple will still take a 26% commission for payments made through these systems. If an app is available globally, developers must create another version of the app for distribution solely on the App Store in South Korea.

Apple warns that users will not have access to some App Store features if developers choose to go this route, including features like Ask to Buy and Family Sharing. Moreover, Apple won’t be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management and the like. Instead, developers will now be responsible for these features, and they must report all sales to Apple each month.

Both Apple and Google opposed the South Korean law, citing the benefits of its first-party system. Namely, both tech giants argued that allowing a third-party payment system undermines their users’ safety and privacy on their app stores, increasing the risk of fraud.

Lawmakers around the globe are looking to establish limits for big tech. The US Congress is working on a slate of bills aimed at antitrust and privacy that would change the way that tech giants do business.