Athira Sethu
Kochi, 25 November 2024
India’s antitrust body, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has rejected Apple’s request to halt an investigation report that found the company violated competition laws. The investigation dates back to 2021, but Apple’s objections have been turned down.
In August, after the company stated that confidential business information had been shared with its competitors, among them dating app owner Match Group, which owns Tinder, the CCI asked Apple to recall the investigation reports. Apple had argued that the sensitive information should have remained confidential. The CCI directed all parties to return the reports and destroy any copies they might have. Later, the new versions were issued.
However, in November, Apple raised concerns regarding the key complainant in the case: the Indian non-profit Together We Fight Society (TWFS). It is believed that TWFS did not follow the instructions from Apple to ascertain whether old investigation reports had been destroyed. The Cupertino-based technology giant moved the CCI by requesting action against TWFS for non-compliance with the rules and demanding a stay on the updated investigation report. However, the CCI found Apple’s request to be unreasonable and decided to proceed with the case.
In fact, the investigation found that Apple was misusing its market dominance in the app store segment for iPhones. The CCI went further and held that through its actions, Apple hurt app developers, users, as well as other payment processors. Apple, however, denied any wrongdoing, arguing it is a minor player in India, where Google’s Android is far more popular.
Additionally to this, the CCI has ordered that audited financial reports from Apple on the years 2021-2024 be submitted. Based on the reports, the department will be able to decide if financial consequences should be met upon Apple. CCI officials will meet and make a final decision on the issue soon.
