New York Times and other US media join The Coalition for App Fairness

Back in September, Epic, Spotify and a variety of other companies both big and small came together to form The Coalition for App Fairness in an effort to pressure Apple and Google to change their app store policies. Since then, the alliance has grown to include more than 50 members, but on Wednesday it welcomed one of its most high-profile additions yet: Digital Content Next (DCN), a trade association that represents a variety of media publishers across the United States, including The New York Times and The Finacial Times.

DNC isn’t the first group representing news organizations to join the collation, but it is the first from the US to do so. DCN claims Apple’s practices have negatively affected its members. “The publishing industry continues to reinvent itself by embracing digital platforms and offering high-quality content, but Apple’s draconian policies have made it exceptionally challenging for businesses to innovate,” the group said.

When it announced its existence in September, The Coalition for App Fairness came out with a code of conduct it said it wanted companies like Apple to follow. Broadly, the document says developers shouldn’t pay “unfair, unreasonable or discriminatory fees,” and that they shouldn’t be forced to use an exclusive app store. In response, Apple has consistently argued that it applies the same rules to everyone and that the fees it collects from developers help maintain and enhance the App Store. However, the company recently announced that it will take a smaller 15 percent commission from developers that make less than $1 million in a year.