What you need to know
- A Dutch investigation into Apple's App Store is nearing a conclusion.
- The ACM has told developers involved in the fiasco that they are close to a draft decision.
- It would be the first country to rule on an antitrust matter concerning Apple.
The Dutch competition authority has stated it is nearing a draft decision in its antitrust investigation into Apple's App Store.
From Reuters:
Dutch competition authorities are nearing a draft decision in a years-long investigation into Apple Inc over rules requiring software developers to use its in-app payment system, according to a letter sent this month to some of the developers involved in the case.The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, or ACM, said in 2019 here that it was investigating Apple's requirement that developers use its payment system, which charges commissions of between 15% and 30%.
Apple is under antitrust scrutiny in several countries along with companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, but as the report notes the Netherlands could become the first country to rule on an antitrust matter concerning Apple.
The ACM has written to developers in the case who were questioned about Apple, telling them it was close to a draft decision. The antitrust investigation boils down to Apple's in-app payment system, and its decision not to let developers use their own payment methods, even though they might be cheaper for consumers.
The investigation echoes an Epic Games lawsuit filed against Apple last year, following Epic's decision to breach Apple's App Store guidelines by offering its own payment system outside of in-app purchases on the App Store and Google Play Store. With discovery in the case nearing completion, the two will go to trial later this year.
