Apple Under Investigation By UK Competition And Market Authority

apple iphone bannerAnd so it begins. With the Epic Games vs. Apple lawsuit on its way to trial, Apple has once again come under fire for their alleged monopoly of the mobile app market. The UK Competition and Market Authority, or CMA, has recently started an investigation into the tech giant’s supposed anti-competitive practices.

According to the CMA, several developers reported Apple and the App Store’s terms and conditions as unfair and that it could be violating competition law, prompting the department to launch a probe on the matter. The developers’ complaints focused primarily on the fact that they can only distribute their apps through the App Store and that they were obligated to use Apple’s payment system for in-app purchases rather than alternative or even their own payment systems. There’s also the matter of Apple’s 30% commission on every in-app purchase made through the App Store.

“Millions of us use apps every day to check the weather, play a game or order a takeaway. So, complaints that Apple is using its market position to set terms which are unfair or may restrict competition and choice – potentially causing customers to lose out when buying and using apps – warrant careful scrutiny,” said CMA Chief Executive Andrea Coscelli.

“Our ongoing examination into digital markets has already uncovered some worrying trends,” she added. “We know that businesses, as well as consumers, may suffer real harm if anti-competitive practices by big tech go unchecked. That’s why we’re pressing on with setting up the new Digital Markets Unit and launching new investigations wherever we have grounds to do so.”

The CMA also revealed that Apple is currently the subject of four anti-trust investigations by the European Commission, and that they’re working closely with the EC as well as other agencies to tackle the global issue of big tech monopolies.