British antitrust regulators began an investigation into Apple’s App Store on Thursday after developers complained that Tech Titan’s policies put them in the chokehold.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority said it is investigating concerns about Apple forces on developers who want to distribute the app through the store, as well as an Apple commission for purchases through the iPhone and iPad apps There are also complaints about the fees of.
The investigation will examine whether Apple has a “dominant place” in the UK’s app market and if so, whether it imposes “unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers”, officials said.
“Millions of us use apps every day to check the weather, play games or order takeaways,” Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive Officer of the Competition and Markets Authority, Said in a statement. “So, there are complaints that Apple is using its market position to determine conditions that are unfair or may restrict competition and choice – potentially losing customers while purchasing and using the app. Causes – careful investigation. “
The investigation combines the growing scrutiny of the iron fist with which Apple runs its own App Store.
Concerns were brought to the headlines last year when Epic Games, the company behind the popular video game “Fortnite”, sued Apple over a 30 percent reduction in Apple’s purchases. Epic pulled “Fortnite” from the App Store after launching a payment system to get around the fees.
Epic’s lawsuit was backed by fellow tech giants such as Facebook, Match Group and Spotify, which filed a contradictory complaint against Apple in the European Union last year.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it “continues to closely coordinate with the European Commission for the European Union”, which has already opened three investigations in the App Store. British regulators noted that their investigation is only in its early stages and has not reached a conclusion as to whether Apple is breaking the law.
Apple said it would work with UK officials as they conduct their own investigations. The Cupertino, California-based company defended its App Store policies, stating that they apply equally to every developer using the platform.
“The App Store has been an engine of success for app developers, partly because of the stricter standards we have – appropriate and equally applicable to all developers – to protect customers from malware and mass data without their consent. To stop collection ” Apple said Thursday in a statement.
Apple has warned investors in its annual report that its bottom line could be hit if the App Store is forced to reduce its commission on sales.
Apple shares traded down 0.2 percent to $ 121.77 at 7:44 a.m. in prepaid trading on Thursday.
With post wires
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