CCI seeks Apple's response to final probe report on App Store dominance

The antitrust regulator has also asked Apple to submit global and India financials for 2022-24 as part of its investigation into alleged abuse of dominance

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought the response or objections of Apple to its final investigation report in relation to the case on abuse of dominant position in the app store market by mid-October, according to people in the know. 

 

The CCI has also asked the informant, non-profit Together We Fight Society, to share its responses to the investigation report. Besides, Apple has to share its detailed financial statements of its global and India business from 2022 to 2024 with the CCI for the determination of penalty as well.

 

The CCI, according to sources, had written to the iphone maker along with the informants in August-end to share their responses to the investigation report within six weeks. 

 

An email sent to Apple remained unanswered.

 

Last year, the antitrust regulator had recalled its investigation report after Apple complained that its commercial secrets were disclosed to opponents. 

 

The CCI had then shared a revised investigation report. The CCI probe has found Apple to have been in contravention of competition law provisions.  

 

In December 2021, the CCI ordered a detailed probe against Apple after prima facie finding that the company abused its market dominance.

 

While ordering the probe in December 2021, the regulator had said Apple prima facie violated various provisions of competition law’s Section 4, which pertains to abuse of market dominance.

 

The relevant market for the probe was defined as ‘market for app stores for iOS in India’.

 

In the order passed in December 2021, the CCI had observed that Apple’s App Store is the only channel for app developers to distribute their apps to iOS consumers, which is pre-installed in every iPhone and iPad.

 

 “Third-party app stores are not allowed to be listed on Apple’s App Store as the developer guidelines as well as agreement prohibits app developers from offering such services. These restrictions imposed by Apple foreclose the market for app stores for iOS for potential app distributors,” CCI order had said.