Apple says treats all app developers equally as Dutch open probe

“Apple, already the subject of EU antitrust scrutiny, on Thursday became the target of a Dutch investigation for allegedly favoring its own apps on its popular App Store,” Reuters reports.
“The investigation was triggered by Dutch apps for news media which provided indications of possible anti-competitive behavior by the iPhone maker during the agency’s study into app stores, ACM said,” Reuters reports. “‘ACM will investigate, among other aspects, whether Apple acted in violation of the prohibition of abuse of dominance, for example, by giving preferential treatment to its own apps,’ the Dutch enforcer said in a statement. The investigation will also look into Apple’s requirement that app developers use its payment systems for in-app purchases and pay a 30 percent fee in the first year, and also difficulties app developers face in using all functionalities of an iPhone.”
“Apple said it treats all app developers equally,” Reuters reports. “‘We are confident (ACM’s) review will confirm all developers have an equal opportunity to succeed in the App Store,’ the company said in a statement.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Again, any supermarket we’ve ever been in, gives preferential treatment to its own branded products that almost always undercut the pricing of similar products. If customers don’t like Apple’s App Store, they are not forced to continue shopping there, they can choose another smartphone brand.
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EU regulators say Dutch Apple probe complements their own investigation – April 11, 2019
Dutch antitrust regulator investigating charges of abuse by Apple in its App Store – April 11, 2019