Australian Department of Home Affairs’ Post

Protect yourself from ETA scams We are aware of third-party websites purporting to be associated with the Department of Home Affairs (the Department), charging exorbitant fees to lodge ETAs on behalf of visa applicants. All ETA-eligible passport holders must apply for an ETA using the Australian ETA app. For more information, see our Step by step guide. There is no Visa Application Charge (VAC) for an ETA, however there is an application service fee of AUD20 to use the Australian ETA app. Be aware that you are being scammed if: ~ you apply for your ETA via a website – ETAs can only be applied for using the ETA app ~ you pay more than AUD20 to lodge the application ~ you are told to pay extra fees for premium service or extra charges for ‘expedited’ visa processing ~ the information you are relying on hasn’t come from an official website ending in .gov.au Some of the known websites which are not official Departmental approved platforms to make an ETA application are: ~ https://lnkd.in/gv9Nhmwb ~ https://www.jsdvisa.com ~ https://lnkd.in/g4aRQWvE ~ https://lnkd.in/gABQSMwE If you choose to use one of these third-party websites, you risk: ~ losing any upfront cash that you have paid to the agent ~ having your ETA refused ~ not being permitted on the flight to Australia ~ being refused entry to Australia at the Australian border by the Australian Border Force In order to protect yourself from visa scams, you should only deal with reputable travel agents, or official Australian Government channels via the Department of Home Affairs website: www.homeaffairs.gov.au If you are aware of, or suspect a scam in relation to ETAs, or other visas to Australia, please report it to Australia’s Border Watch by visiting https://lnkd.in/gAMByAwv.

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Apple announces new rules for EU developers As you may know, developers in the EU who use alternative app stores and payment methods pay a commission called CTF after one million installs. Apple has introduced 2 new conditions. These are: - No CTF for apps with zero revenue: Developers won't pay CTF if their app generates no revenue at all (including ads). - 3-year CTF exemption for small developers: Small developers with less than €10 million in annual revenue will not pay CTF for 3 years. Apple is under investigation by the EU. I expect more updates on the CTF front soon.

🤦♂️ Thanks to EU, European consumers will probably have to pay 1 € to download an app. During years, Apple paids the bill for distribution of apps: a cost absorbed by global fees, a good model. But EU, for political reasons, enter in the business with a new model. And clearly without consulting small developers. For an independent developer: - you have 2M downloads - 5 % users are paying 2 € month - 100k€ revenues Today monthly fees: 1 250 € With new laws: 46 373 € The only choice to guarantee same revenue? Ask European consumers to pay 1 € to download the app, absorbing the distribution cost (0,5 € + taxes + fees). Free in other countries. If you consider things globally, download cost is under revenue. But, individually, cost can be over revenue. https://lnkd.in/ePyyza4A

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Apple has confirmed that EU customers will soon be able to download software from outside the AppStore for the first time, according to Bloomberg. If anyone knows how much friction this can add to downloading apps outside of your region, you'll realise how much of a relief this is! This is a significant change as EU customers will now be able to use alternative payment systems and choose their own web browser instead of defaulting to Safari. The changes come weeks before the EU enacts the Digital Markets Act, which imposes harsh restrictions on large tech firms and boosts the European Commission's powers as antitrust enforcer. As good as this news is, Apple is also facing legal trouble as it has been asked to throw out a mass lawsuit valued at £785m (€919m) brought on behalf of more than 1,500 app developers. The case alleges that Apple charges third-party developers unfair commissions on app purchases. It probably makes sense why Apple is shaving back the revenue split with developers from 30% to 17%! ❗ Very important developments in the tech industry this week. It's starting to look like a very interesting 2024 so far! 💡 Follow Studio 14 for best practices and support for developers, mobile app development and software development #eu #payments #applenews