What price platform integrity?
Even then, another problem Apple faces in that is that each nation could demand slightly different approaches to lifting those restrictions. The problem is that there is a development and infrastructure support cost, not to mention legal expenses, to each of those dictated approaches. What that means is that the less harmonious Apple lets payments on iOS become, the higher the cost of business.
To avoid weakening the platform with a thousand cuts, it just makes more sense to lift the restrictions internationally, while also putting in place firm safeguards that permit Apple to swiftly remove any payment services identified as fraudulent or lax in security from its platforms.
Now, I’m on the record arguing that I think there is a very high probability that once payment systems in apps are opened up this way we will see fraud, identity theft, and other forms of financial crime affect against Apple’s so-far highly secure platform. I think that’s inevitable.
