European Commission opens investigation into Apple App Store

The European Commission has opened an investigation into rumors of anti-competitive practices by the Apple App Store.

The commission said it will investigate Apple charging alternative app stores and app developers every time iPhone users download their software. In addition to the eligibility approved by Apple for developers to offer Apple applications over the Internet instead of the Apple App Store, the commission will also investigate the steps iPhone users must follow to use an alternative app store.

The investigation relates to the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which regulates the conduct of digital “essential entities” (gatekeepers), which refer to companies with strong and established positions in the EU’s digital economy and are considered intermediaries between multiple users and companies. .

As part of an investigation opened last March, the commission also announced that it had sent a preliminary proposal to Apple, alleging that it violated the Digital Markets Act by preventing developers from operating users freely outside the Apple App Store ecosystem.

Apple now has a chance to present its defense, and the European Commission has until March 25, 2025 to make a final decision.