The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Apple’s rules for paying for mobile apps on its App Store. Jurists thus met with developers of mobile applications as part of a competition investigation that had been underway for a year already.
On the App Store, software providers must use Apple’s payment system. By the way, the tech giant receives a commission that generally amounts to 30 percent. Complaints have been filed by several application developers, including the music streaming service Spotify, who believe that this situation artificially inflates the prices of their subscriptions on Apple devices, including the iPhone. In the case of Spotify, it turns out that Apple offers a competing product called “Apple Music”.
Authorities
According to Bloomberg sources, the U.S. investigation began in mid-2019. In this context, the authorities are interviewing small and large providers of applications for the iPhone and iPad to gather their experience with the payment system. According to knowledgeable people, the investigation is ongoing and the results are not yet known.
This month, we learned that the European Commission is also investigating the issue of payments on the App Store. Brussels will check if the American group is guilty of abuse of power.
On the App Store, software providers must use Apple’s payment system. By the way, the tech giant receives a commission that generally amounts to 30 percent. Complaints have been filed by several application developers, including the music streaming service Spotify, who believe that this situation artificially inflates the prices of their subscriptions on Apple devices, including the iPhone. In the case of Spotify, it turns out that Apple offers a competing product called “Apple Music”. According to sources from Bloomberg, the US investigation began in mid-2019. In this context, the authorities are interviewing small and large providers of applications for the iPhone and iPad to gather their experience with the payment system. Well-informed people say the investigation is ongoing and the results are not yet known. This month, we learned that the European Commission is also investigating the issue of payments on the App Store. Brussels will check if the American group is guilty of abuse of power.
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