antitrust - page 2

App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges in Europe

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App Store faces barrage of antitrust charges
Government agencies in the EU and UK are looking into whether the iPhone App Store violates their antitrust laws.
Photo: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels CC

Spotify’s accusation to the European Union that Apple uses its control of the App Store to squeeze out competition reportedly will soon result in antitrust charges being filed against the iPhone-maker. This comes on the same day the UK begins an investigation of the App Store.

The two antitrust agencies could force Apple to lower the commissions it charges software developers. Or even require rival iPhone app stores.

Netherlands could be first country to rule on App Store antitrust accusations

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TikTok continues to dominate the App Store in 2020.
Does Apple have too much control over the App Store?
Photo: Kon Karampelas/Unsplash CC

Antitrust investigators in the Netherlands are reportedly coming to the end of a “years-long” investigation into Apple and its control of the App Store.

The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has been investigating this matter since 2019. It focuses on Apple’s “payments system” in the App Store, which charges developers 15% to 30% in commission. With its impending decision, it could become the first antitrust authority to rule on this contentious issue.

Apple settles antitrust dispute in South Korea with ‘voluntary correction scheme’

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Apple South Korea Store
Dispute has been running in South Korea since 2016.
Photo: Apple

Apple has settled a long-running antitrust dispute in South Korea. The country’s Fair Trade Commission announced Wednesday that it has accepted Apple’s offer to spend $89.83 million in the country as part of a voluntary correction scheme.

“This is the first time that a correction scheme [to make up for unfair market practices] actually provides direct benefits to consumers such as repair and warranty cost discounts,” said FTC Chairwoman Joh Sung-wook in a press briefing. “[The FTC] shall thoroughly keep watch on whether Apple carries out the promised actions to contribute to the domestic ICT ecosystem.”

Apple Pay could be used in 1 of every 10 card transactions by 2025

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Apple Pay
Apple Pay has been a massive success for Apple.
Photo: CardMapr/Unsplash CC

The App Store has been one of the main focuses when it comes to Apple and potential antitrust violations. However, Apple Pay could also be a rising vulnerability for Apple as it defends itself against accusations of monopolistic behavior, the Financial Times notes.

According to the report, citing Loup Ventures analysts, Apple Pay is now used by 507 million people. That’s around half of the people in thee world who own an iPhone. By 2025, Bernstein analysts think it could facilitate one in every 10 credit card transactions worldwide. Of these, Apple gets an estimated 0.15% of each transaction.

Antitrust complaint claims Apple’s crackdown on user tracking is unfair

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privacy WWDC
Apple is all about privacy.
Photo: Apple

A French antitrust complaint against Apple targets an iOS 14 feature that makes it tougher for companies to indiscriminately use tracking technology for mobile advertising.

The anti-tracking feature previously faced criticism, unsurprisingly, from companies that work in mobile advertising. However, this is the one of the first legal actions taken against Apple due to the feature.

Lawyer who helped prosecute Microsoft thinks government may struggle against Big Tech

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iPhone with gavel.
Apple is one of the companies targeted in antitrust investigation.
Photo: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Cult of Mac

The lawyer who helped spearhead the successful U.S. antitrust case against Microsoft thinks today’s government is ill-prepared to take on companies like Apple, Google and Facebook.

According to Gary Reback, the U.S. government does not have enough litigators to prosecute antitrust cases against these tech giants.

Italy’s antitrust authorities will scrutinize Apple’s cloud services

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Apple ditched plans for secure iCloud backups after FBI concern
iCloud is one of the cloud services being scrutinized.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Italy has opened the latest investigation into potential Apple antitrust violations. Announced by the Italian antitrust authority Monday, this investigation will look into Apple’s iCloud cloud computing services.

Similar investigations will be carried out investigating Google parent company Alphabet and Dropbox.

Antitrust chairman says tech giants ‘crush’ competitors, charge ‘monopoly rents’

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Tim Cook answers questions about App Store business practices.
Tim Cook answered questions about App Store business practices last month.
Photo: C-SPAN

Congress’ big tech antitrust hearings are done and now, weeks later, investigators are gearing up to deliver their findings.

According to David Cicilline, the Democrat leading the House antitrust investigation into tech giants including Apple, the investigatory committee could reveal its recommendations next month. And things aren’t looking too rosy for the companies involved.

$84 million payout could settle Apple antitrust investigation in South Korea

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South Korea1
An interior photo of Apple's spectacular South Korea store.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s South Korea business has said that it will make a 100 billion won ($84 million) payout to support small businesses and help consumers. This is to address antitrust concerns raised in the country.

Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has been investigating Apple Korea for reportedly forcing mobile carriers to pay for advertising and warranty repairs. The payout — which is phrased like a pledge, but also sounds like a fine — will act as a make-good on Apple’s “unfair” terms.

Apple expels Fortnite from the App Store; Epic Games sues

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The Epic Games office in Berlin.— Fortnite App Store
Epic Games has sued Apple for allegedly monopolizing iOS app distribution.
Photo: Sergey Galyonkin/Flickr CC

The hugely popular game Fortnite was removed from the iPhone App Store on Thursday. This move came in response to Epic Games instituting a direct payments system for in-app purchases in violation of App Store guidelines.

And Epic Games responded with a civil lawsuit that accuses the App Store of being a monopoly. And a video that harks back to the famous “1984” ad.

ProtonMail developer says Apple is a ‘monopoly’ that crushes competition

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ProtonMail app
ProtonMail is the latest company to take issues with Apple's App Store policies.
Photo: ProtonMail

The makers of secure email service ProtonMail are the latest developers to speak out about Apple’s control of the App Store.

In a blog post published Monday, founder and CEO Andy Yen wrote that Apple has become a “monopoly, crushing potential competitors with exploitative fees and conducting censorship on behalf of dictators.”

Congress may scrutinize Apple’s ‘copy-acquire-kill’ strategy

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Tim Cook goes to Washington
This is one of the questions Tim Cook could field tomorrow.
Screenshot: Apple

Lawmakers reportedly will quiz Apple on its “copy-acquire-kill” strategy during Wednesday’s congressional antitrust hearing.

According to the Washington Post, this will be one of the areas that Apple will be scrutinized on to see if it has engaged in anti-competitive behavior. “Copy-acquire-kill” refers to buying companies to acquire their innovative features, before killing them to stop other platforms from having access to them.

Tim Cook’s antitrust hearing will take place on Wednesday

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Tim Cook WWDC
Cook will be testifying along with the CEOs of Facebook, Amazon, and Google.
Photo: Apple

Update: The hearing will now take place on Wednesday, July 29 at midday ET. It can be live-streamed here.

Tim Cook’s testimony in front of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee antitrust investigation has reportedly been postponed, according to CNBC.

The hearing was originally scheduled for Monday, July 27 at midday EST. However, two people “familiar with the matter” claim that it is being pushed back. This is due to its overlap with a memorial service for the late civil rights leader John Lewis.

Italy is the latest country to open an antitrust investigation into Apple

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iPhone with gavel.
Italy is investigating Apple over a possible sales violation involving Amazon.
Photo: Tingey Injury Law Firm/Cult of Mac

Italy has opened another antitrust investigation into Apple, adding to the number of current antitrust investigations the company faces.

This time the investigation will explore Apple’s relationship with Amazon and whether they reached what Reuters calls an “anti-competitive agreement” over the sale of Apple devices and Beats headphones.

Microsoft president may have complained to Congress about App Store antitrust issues

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Microsoft Windows
Microsoft vs. Apple? It's like the 1990s all over again!
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft President Brad Smith reportedly raised concerns to the U.S. government about Apple’s management of the App Store, which he considers anti-competitive.

The two companies’ infamous rivalry has cooled somewhat since its 1990s peak, but Apple and Microsoft aren’t exactly BFFs either.

Tim Cook will testify in Washington antitrust hearing on July 27

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Tim Cook goes to Washington
Tim Cook will join the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, and Google during hearing.
Screenshot: Apple

Tim Cook’s testimony in front of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee antitrust investigation committee will take place on July 27 at midday EST. The hearing, which will be live-streamed, will be accompanied by similar testimonies from Jeff Bezos of Amazon, Sundar Pichai of Google, and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook.

The title of the investigatory hearings is “Online Platforms and Market Power” with a focus on “Examining the Dominance of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Apple.”

Tim Cook agrees to testify before Congress in antitrust probe

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Tim Cook goes to Washington
Apple chief Tim Cook will testify before Congress, and he’ll be joined by the CEOs of Amazon, Facebook and Google.
Screenshot: Apple

The CEOs of four of biggest tech firms will testify in the House of Representatives’s probe into antitrust activities. That includes Apple’s Tim Cook, along with the heads of Amazon, Facebook and Google.

This is part of an ongoing investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into whether the largest tech companies play fair with smaller competitors.

Apple might face US antitrust probe over strict App Store policies

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app-store
Complaints about App Store have gained momentum recently.
Photo: Apple

The Department of Justice is considering a possible antitrust probe of Apple, according to three sources who spoke with Politico, the publication notes in a report published Wednesday.

Like the European Union, which recently launched an antitrust investigation of Apple, the DoJ is reportedly focused on Apple’s control of the App Store. Multiple companies have complained that the App Store raises prices and reduces options for customers.

Antitrust issues? Microsoft president says App Store business model must be investigated

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Microsoft Windows
Microsoft went through its own antitrust case in the early 2000s.
Photo: Microsoft

Microsoft’s president Brad Smith has seemingly joined the number of voices criticizing Apple for taking a 30% cut of app revenue.

The Microsoft executive said that the policy is far more anti-competitive than the complaints that led to the Microsoft antitrust case of the early 2000s. The antitrust case against Microsoft helped reshape the tech landscape 20 years ago.

Apple’s Tim Cook is lone holdout in congressional investigation of big tech

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Tim Cook called for Ohio State University grads to embrace hope in a fearful time during his virtual commencement address.
Apple CEO Tim Cook apparently doesn’t want to testify to the U.S. Congress on antitrust issues.
Photo: Ohio State University

U.S. lawmakers want to talk to the CEOs of the biggest tech firms. And the heads of Amazon, Facebook and Google said they‘re willing to testify in the House of Representatives’s probe into antitrust activities. Apple, on the other hand, reportedly told Congress that it’s willing to send a senior executive, but stopped short of promising that would be CEO Tim Cook.

Apple comes out swinging against antitrust investigation, blasts companies that ‘want a free ride’

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Apple.logo.paris.store
The Apple logo outside the Paris, France Apple Store.
Photo: Josh Davidson/Cult of Mac

Apple says that it is disappointed to be targeted in two new antitrust investigations by the European Union. The two antitrust investigations, into both the App Store and Apple Pay, were announced Tuesday.

“It’s disappointing the European Commission is advancing baseless complaints from a handful of companies who simply want a free ride, and don’t want to play by the same rules as everyone else,” Apple told Reuters in a statement. “We don’t think that’s right — we want to maintain a level playing field where anyone with determination and a great idea can succeed.”

Apple faces more antitrust scrutiny in Europe, this time over e-books

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Kobo
Kobo's e-book app is available through the App Store.
Photo: Rakuten

Apple faces another antitrust complaint in the European Union, this time from Japanese tech company Rakuten. The anti-competition complaint relates to Apple’s e-book business, the Financial Times reported Tuesday.

In response, the EU opened an official investigation into the App Store. On Tuesday, EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said the government will scrutinize Cupertino’s business practices. “We need to ensure that Apple’s rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers, for example with its music streaming service Apple Music or with Apple Books,” Vestager said. “I have therefore decided to take a close look at Apple’s App Store rules and their compliance with EU competition rules.”

French watchdog fines Apple $1.2 billion for anti-competitive behavior; Apple to appeal

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Anti-robocall bill is one step closer to being passed into law
France's antitrust watchdog made the ruling on damages.
Photo: rawpixel.com/Pexels CC

France’s competition watchdog announced on Monday it has fined Apple 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) for reportedly violating antitrust laws, the biggest antitrust fine it has ever levied.

The French watchdog accuses Apple of exhibiting anti-competitive behavior through its distribution network, including reported abuse of the economic dependence of its resellers. The company plans to appeal.