Apple Inc files dismissal of India apps market antitrust case before CCI.
- ByStartupStory | December 20, 2021
Apple Inc has filed a petition to the Competition Commission of India to dismiss allegations that the company is violating India’s competition laws. The iPhone maker argued that its market share in the country is too low for it to be considered dominant. “Without dominance, there can be no abuse,” said the response by Apple’s chief compliance officer Kyle Andeer.
The case filed by Jaipur-based non-profit Together We Fight Society (TWFS) alleges that the fees Apple charges developers for selling apps and in-app items through the App Store violate India’s competition rules. TWFS filed the complaint against Apple in September. It alleged that Apple’s 30% commission against in-app purchases through its App Store raised costs for app developers and customers and worked as a roadblock for small developers to market their services.
The CCI has been in the spotlight over the competition regulation of Big Tech since regulators overseas have recently taken significant decisions about Apple, Google, and other tech companies’ business models. Japan and South Korea have devised policies that bar companies such as Apple and Google from forcing their payment modes on app developers.
Apple denied the allegations in its filing to the CCI and stressed that its market share in India is an “insignificant” 0-5%, while Google commands 90-100% as its Android operating system powers most other smartphones.
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