India: Regulatory proceedings continue despite large Apple investments
Apple faces problems in many countries around the world due to strict App Store requirements. A case that was briefly suspended in India is now being continued.
Indian flag: market increasingly important for Apple.
(Image: siam.pukkato/Shutterstock.com)
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has resumed proceedings against Apple for possible antitrust violations in the iOS App Store. An attempt by Apple to stop an "antitrust report" failed, reports the news agency Reuters. The proceedings have been ongoing since 2021 and are said to have "threatened" Apple's trade secrets, according to the company. However, the CCI has now decided to simply black out critical passages.
Argument: Investigation report contains trade secrets
The CCI assumes that Apple has violated Indian competition law. The company has exploited its "dominant position in the market for app stores under iOS" with negative consequences for app developers, according to the investigation report. The CCI was called by the non-profit group "Together We Fight Society (TWFS)".
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After the report was published, Apple insisted that it be withdrawn, as it leaked information that could be used by competitors, such as the Match Group, to which Tinder belongs. The CCI now wants to delete these sections and is demanding that all interested parties return the report and delete copies. The redacted version will then be published.
Apple only sees itself as a small player
However, the CCI does not want to discontinue the proceedings per se. "Apple's request to keep the investigation report in abeyance was deemed inadmissible," said the authority. Apple itself has always emphasized that it is only a "small player" in India, as Google's Android operating system is dominant in the country. For this reason alone, the company should not have a dominant market position. The CCI has now demanded that Apple submit financial documents in order to calculate a possible fine. The requested data is said to date back to 2021.
The proceedings are similar to various other competition disputes with authorities in the USA, the EU and Asian countries. The question is always whether Apple's sometimes strict App Store rules are lawful. In the EU, fines in the billions are threatened due to violations of the Digital Markets Act – One has already been imposed.
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