Damus Faces Removal from Apple Store Over Bitcoin Tipping

Damus, a decentralized social media program, may be removed from the Apple program store due to its Bitcoin tipping feature.

Apple informed the developers of Damus on June 13 that the app would be removed from the platform due to the “Zaps” feature, which allows users and content creators to be tipped in Bitcoin.

The widget for Bitcoin payments and gratuities on the platform was made possible by integrating the Lightning Network.

Apple warned that the Zaps feature violates its policy prohibiting gratuity functionality other than in-app purchases.

Even though the tipping feature is optional, the tech titan stated, “If they [users] are associated with or connected to receiving digital content, they must use in-app purchases following guideline 3.1.1.”

The Damus team dubbed it a watershed moment with enormous implications for P2P-enabled platforms.

Additionally, the group clarified that Damus does not sell or provide features for selling digital products. It has tip icons to facilitate P2P transactions like Venmo and the Cash App.

Tipping with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has become quite popular on social media platforms, with Twitter and Reddit facilitating the functionality.

The crypto tipping feature enables peer-to-peer transactions without the need for an intermediary. In 2015, Apple authorized the “Game of Birds” app to accept Bitcoin tips.

Walker, a Nostr creator on Twitter, pointed out that Apple’s issue with Zaps was misplaced because Damus does not sell digital content, and he requested that the technology company correct its error.

Many other crypto advocates have questioned why contributions on Twitter are permitted, but the same feature on Damus violates Apple’s terms of service.

Others have accused Apple of safeguarding Silicon Valley’s interests.