January 3, 2025 – The Competition Commission of India (CCI) is poised to unveil the findings of its antitrust investigation into Apple’s App Store, encapsulated in a comprehensive 142-page report. The tech giant has already been apprised of the inquiry’s outcomes.
The CCI asserts that Apple’s mandate for developers to utilize its in-app payment system contravenes India’s anti-competitive laws. Consequently, the regulatory body may compel Apple to grant access to third-party payment systems within its App Store.
The saga originated in 2021 when an organization named “Together We Fight Society” (TWFS) lodged a complaint with the CCI, challenging Apple’s App Store policies and fees.
In July 2024, the CCI preliminarily determined that Apple had abused its dominant market position. Apple swiftly rebutted, alleging that the CCI had disclosed sensitive information and urging the withdrawal of the report and termination of the investigation. However, these pleas were dismissed by the CCI in November 2024.
Despite Apple’s contention that its market share in India is less than 5%, insufficient to constitute a dominant position, the CCI’s prior ruling requiring Google to open up its Google Play Store payment system to third parties suggests a similar fate awaits Apple. The tech giant is likely to face a mandate to open its App Store, enabling developers to integrate alternative payment systems.
