India calls out Apple’s ‘abusive conduct and practices’ with App Store as antitrust woes continue

Apple’s antitrust woes are continuing to spread around the globe, as evidenced by a new report. Following the path tread by the EU, India is the latest nation to take issue with Apple’s App Store practices, as the first results of a years-long investigation have now revealed.

India continues trend of opposing Apple’s App Store practices

Aditya Kalra writes for Reuters:

An investigation by India’s antitrust body has found that Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system, engaging “in abusive conduct and practices”, a confidential report seen by Reuters showed.

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“Apple App Store is an unavoidable trading partner for app developers, and resultantly, app developers have no choice but to adhere to Apple’s unfair terms, including the mandatory use of Apple’s proprietary billing and payment system,” the CCI unit said in the June 24 report.

The report of the investigation, which has been ongoing since 2021, has not yet been publicly shared. However, once it is, Apple will be able to formally issue a response.

In prior statements to the CCI investigation team, Apple argued that it is a minor player in the country, “insignificant” due to its 0-5% market share.

However, the size of the company’s presence in India may not make much of a difference at this point, since governing bodies like the EU have successfully forced Apple to support alternate payment options and even third-party app stores.

9to5Mac’s Take

Now that the EU has shown Apple can be compelled to change its ways, it’s easier to see other legislative action following suit around the world. That said, expect Apple to push back with every tool at its disposal, seeking to prevent what started in the EU from becoming commonplace around the globe.