India’s CCI rejects Apple’s request to halt investigation report
India’s antitrust regulators have declined to grant Apple’s request for a temporary hold on a report that alleges app developers are compelled to adhere to unfair terms to be on the App Store.
In 2021, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) began its investigation following a company from a group called “Together We Fight Society,” (TWFS) regarding App Store fees and rules. In July 2024, the CCI announced that it had concluded that Apple has “significant influence” over digital products and services.
In August of the same year, the CCI had recalled the investigation as Apple claimed it had disclosed privileged and sensitive information. This information included India sales numbers, which the tech giant does not disclose. It then requested parties return the reports and destroy all copies made before it issued new ones with the sensitive information redacted.
Four months later, the CCI has decided to continue the investigation, citing that it still believes Apple abuses its dominant position in the App Store market.
In response, Apple claimed that TWFS didn’t provide reasonable assurance that it had destroyed reports. As a result, Apple asked the CCI “to take action against TWFS for non-compliance with its order” and “to withhold the revised” report, according to an order seen by Reuters.
In response, the CCI said, “Apple’s request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable.”
Apple has increasingly been in legal and regulatory hot water over its App Store rules and regulations. Many antitrust regulators have alleged that Apple hurts smaller developers by forcing them to adhere to unreasonable restrictions, such as requiring all apps to be distributed exclusively through the App Store.
Apple has often argued opening the iPhone to rival App Stores could create security risks and put customers’ data and privacy at risk.
Despite arguing against the concept on a philosophical level, Apple now allows developers in the European Union to distribute apps through alternative app stores. The European Union, however, remains unconvinced that Apple is doing enough.
