UK launches competition probe into Apple’s App Store

LONDON – Britain’s competition regulator has launched an investigation into Apple that will focus on the US technology giant’s use of its App Store.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that it will examine Apple’s position regarding the distribution of apps on its iPhones, iPads and other devices in Britain.

Apple said in response that it looked forward to working with the CMA to explain how its “guidelines for privacy, security and content have made the App Store a trusted marketplace for both consumers and developers”.

The news however comes as Apple also faces a European Commission antitrust probe into its App Store, while the tech titan remains locked in a fierce US legal battle over the matter with Fortnite maker Epic Games.

The App Store is the only way for developers to distribute their apps for use on the US company’s devices to the public.

“The CMA’s investigation will consider whether Apple has a dominant position in connection with the distribution of apps on Apple devices in the UK,” the UK regulator said in a statement.

Impact on choice and price

The CMA will also examine “whether Apple imposes unfair or anticompetitive terms on developers using the App Store, ultimately resulting in users having less choice or paying higher prices for apps and add-ons”.

“The probe has been prompted by the CMA’s own work in the digital sector, as well as several developers reporting that Apple’s terms and conditions are unfair and could break competition law,” the regulator added.

The CMA said complaints highlighted also that Apple required “in-app” features, add-ons and upgrades to use the US group’s payment system, rather than any alternative.

News of the British probe comes two weeks after Epic Games – best known for the massively popular online role-playing hit Fortnite – lodged a complaint against Apple with EU antitrust authorities, deepening its bitter feud with the iPhone-maker over its app store.

The global war over the App Store has also widened to Facebook, whose CEO Mark Zuckerberg accuses Apple of imposing rules for outside developers that it does not apply to its own services. – AFP, March 5, 2021