Apple under Government scrutiny for anti-competitive behaviour

By June 11, 2021 Press Releases

The Competition and Markets Authority will be teaming up with TIGA to present a webinar on competition in the video games industry, and the App Store investigation, on Monday 21st June at 2pm. Sign up for the free webinar here.

 

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Apple following complaints that its terms and conditions for app developers are anti-competitive.

The Appstore currently serves as the only way developers can distribute third-party apps on Apple’s devices and is the only way for Apple customers to access them.

The probe has been prompted by the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) own work in the digital sector in combination with complaints from several developers reporting that Apple’s terms and conditions are unfair and could break competition law.

All apps available through the App Store must be approved by Apple. This approval hinges on developers agreeing to certain terms. According to the CMA, complaints from developers focus on terms that mean they can only distribute their apps to apple devices via the App Store.

These complaints also highlight that ‘in-app’ features, add-ons or upgrades are subject to Apple’s payment system. Apple charges a commission of up to 30% to developers on the value of these transactions.

The CMA’s investigation will consider whether Apple imposes unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers using the App Store that ultimately result in users having fewer choices or paying higher prices for apps and add-ons.

More information can be found on the Investigation into Apple App Store case page.

TIGA + CMA Webinar: Video Games & Competition Law

Find more details on the webinar here. 

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