Apple Loses Bid to Stall India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has rejected tech giant Apple’s request to pause an antitrust investigation against it, according to a Reuters report, citing the antitrust body’s internal order on the matter. The probe will thus continue.
Apple’s request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable,” the CCI said in the order. Apple, CCI and NGO Together We Fight Society (TWFS), the main complainant in its antitrust case, did not respond to questions, the report added.
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Apple Loses Bid to Stall India: What Happened?
The CCI in August recalled investigation reports after Apple alleged that these documents disclosed its commercial secrets to competitors including Match (Tinder’s parent), as per Reuters. The documents were regarding a 2021 case and had elements that should not have been distributed.
As such the watchdog asked parties involved to return the reports and destroy any copies, following which it issued new reports.
Later in November, an internal order from the CCI showed that Apple argued that TWFS, the main complainant in its antitrust case, had failed to comply with CCI directives that asked for assurance that copies of the recalled reports were destroyed. It asked the regulator to take action against the non-compliance and “withhold the revised” report, Reuters said.
Apple Loses Bid to Stall India Case
The CCI in its probe determined that Apple used its market dominance to position itself better than competitors in app stores on its iOS operating system, the report said. This was done to the detriment of app developers, users and other payment processors, it added.
Meanwhile, Apple has called itself a “small player” in India pointing to the prevalence of Google’s Android system and denied breaking anti-competition laws.
The CCI internal order also showed that Apple has been asked to submit its audited financial statements for FY21-22, FY22-23, and FY23-24 under regulatory guidelines aimed at determining possible monetary penalties in the case. Senior officials at the regulator are expected to review the investigation report and make a final ruling on the case.
Apple Loses Bid to Stall India: Apple said in a statement
Apple said in a statement to that it believes in “thriving and dynamic markets,” that it faces competition everywhere it operates and that it disagrees with the CMA’s findings.
Meanwhile, Apple last week asked a federal judge to dismiss the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust suit that accuses the company of holding an illegal smartphone monopoly.
The government has accused Apple of preventing rivals from accessing its devices’ software and hardware, thus making it harder for consumers to switch phones.
Apple has denied that it holds a monopoly, arguing in court earlier this year that it is not required to give software developers any more access to iPhones than they already get.
Eelier in the last month, Apple established it’s first wholly owned subsidiary in India. Apple operations India ,a bid to expected it’s R&D Capabilities in the region.
Apple’s challenges with the CCI
Apple’s challenges with the CCI come amid heightened scrutiny of big tech firms in India and worldwide. Developers have criticised Apple’s App Store policies, particularly its requirement for developers to use its in-app payment system and pay a commission on transactions. While Apple maintains it does not hold enough market power in India to harm competition, the CCI’s investigation and subsequent ruling could have significant implications for the company’s operations in the country.
Jay Chavda He is the Founder and Writer of businesspulsecare.com. He is an I.T Engineer, Freelancer, Businessman. He posts Business, Stock/Share Market, Finance Related News and updates on the website. 🔗