India antitrust watchdog issues rare retraction of reports alleging Apple market abuse

India’s antitrust regulator has issued a rare order to retract reports accusing Apple of anti-competitive practices. Apple claimed the reports leaked confidential information to competitors like Tinder-owner Match. This rectraction has stalled a long-running investigation into Apple’s dominance in the Indian app market and its in-app purchase policies.
Aditya Kalra for Reuters:
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The move will prolong an already delayed investigation, which began in 2021, centering on Apple’s alleged abuse of its dominant position in the apps market to force developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system, at a fee of up to 30%
Reuters reported last month that two reports prepared by India’s antitrust investigations unit in 2022 and 2024 and circulated to concerned parties in July found Apple had exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system, to the detriment of app developers, users and other payment processors.
However, in an Aug. 7 confidential order that Reuters is the first to report on, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) asked all Apple’s opponents in the case for the return of the reports.
“It is imperative that such information be maintained confidential, ensuring that no unauthorised disclosure occurs,” the CCI said in a four-page order signed by its top four officials.
The order follows Apple’s private complaint to the CCI that versions of reports shared with parties disclosed “Apple’s confidential commercial sensitive information” adding that the watchdog must “recall and withdraw” them, the order showed.

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MacDailyNews Take: Regardless, as of June 2024, Apple’s iPhone has 4.1% in India’s smartphone market. There is no monopoly. Therefore, there can be no monopoly abuse.
That said, as we wrote in December 2022:
Those who want safety, security, and privacy will stick to Apple’s App Store, but a single point of control is always a danger, especially when it comes to capricious censorship (see: pre-Musk Twitter, Apple’s App Store in China, etc.).
iPhone and iPad users must, like Mac users, have the ability to install third-party apps; even if they never do, for it will keep Apple honest. The ability to ban an app loses all power when it’s simply available in another App Store.
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