UK – Payment policies related to Apple’s App Store have for long drawn complaints from app developers. Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority has, therefore, opened an investigation into Apple Inc owing to some complaints that the iPhone maker’s terms and conditions for app developers are unfair and anti-competitive.
commenting on the same, CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli said,” Complaints that Apple is using its market position to set terms which are unfair or may restrict competition and choice – potentially causing customers to lose out when buying and using apps – warrant careful scrutiny.”
The probe will consider if Apple has a dominant position in the distribution of apps on its devices in the UK. Last year, the European Commission too had opened a probe into the iPhone maker over App Store commission fee.
Apple charges a commission of up to 30% from developers on the value of transactions or any time a consumer buys their app. The iPhone maker has informed it will work with the regulator. “The App Store has been an engine of success for app developers, in part because of the rigorous standards we have in place — applied fairly and equally to all developers — to protect customers from malware and to prevent rampant data collection without their consent,” Apple said in a statement.
The company is also being investigated on similar grounds by the Dutch competition authorities.