Germany opens investigation into US oligopoly Apple with App Store
Germany's competition watchdog Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has launched an investigation into the Apple for its “sovereign significance across multiple markets”. The FCO will consider whether the Apple dominated the market by creating a digital ecosystem based on iOS and iPhones, according to Andreas Mundt, president of the German body in a official statement.
Mundt added that the investigation will focus on the App Store, as the app store “allows Apple influence many third-party businesses in multiple ways.” The regulator also said the FCO will explore “the magnitude of the technological and financial sources [of Apple] and their access to data.”
A Apple, in turn, said that it is “open to dialogue” with the FCO on the issues raised by the body.
The investigation of Apple in Germany it is just one of the actions by regulators on the four Big Tech giants for anti-competitive conduct, with Amazon, Facebook and Google also facing scrutiny from lawmakers.
The FCO said it had received several complaints from anticompetitive practices of app developers against the Cupertino company. The main criticism of the developers is the “mandatory use of the in-app purchasing system of the company itself Apple and the 30% commission” the company takes from developers. Other complaints have come from the advertising and media industry, and relate to restrictions on data tracking of users on iOS 14.5.
In its official response, the Apple said the “iOS app economy” supports more than 250 jobs in Germany. “The App Store gives German developers of all sizes the same opportunity to share their passion and creativity with users around the world, while creating a safe and trusted place for customers to download the apps they love with the privacy protections they expect,” the statement said.
Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. Mobile World Live e BBC News
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