India’s CCI will say it’s found anticompetitive practices with Apple’s App Store
The Competition Commission of India is reportedly set to announce its finding that Apple has committed antitrust violations with the App Store, and has informed the company.
A group called “Together We Fight Society” (TWFS) complained to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in 2021 about Apple’s App Store rules and fees. In July 2024, the CCI made a preliminary conclusion that Apple had abused its position of power over digital services and products.
As part of that 2024 announcement, however, Apple said that the CCI had disclosed privileged and sensitive information, such as sales numbers. The CCI’s 142-page report was not made public, but still it was circulated to some parties, including the TWFS.
Apple not only objected to this information being disclosed, it then accused the TWFS of failing to provide assurance that the report had been destroyed. The company therefore asked the CCI “to take action against the TWFS for non-compliance with its order.”
However, Apple also asked the CCI to withdraw the report and close its investigation. In response, the CCI said that “Apple’s request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable.”
Now according to Mint, the CCI has both continued and is now concluding its case.
Two unspecified sources say that the CCI believes Apple has broken India’s anticompetitive laws through requiring developers to use its in-app payment systems. While the CCI has yet to formally announce its findings, the sources say that it has informed Apple.
Apple has reportedly been sent a confidential version of the CCI’s report in order to assist the company in preparing a defence. This is said to be the penultimate step before there are last hearings and a final adjudication.
What happens next
It’s not known how long the CCI intends to give Apple before announcing its findings. Nor is it known whether the regulator will impose fines.
In its forthcoming defence, Apple is expected to repeat a previous claim that its market share in India is an “insignificant” one. Its share is at most 5%, so Apple will probably continue to argue that it has no dominant position to abuse.
However, the CCI has previously directed Google to allow third-party payment systems on the Google Play Store. So it is likely that Apple will be required to open up its App Store in the same way as it has in the European Union, and later in Japan.
