From the United States to the United Kingdom, from Brazil to Japan, and in many countries in between, Apple has been facing a series of antitrust probes, particularly over its App Store rules.Now, Colombia is also joining in.Here are the details.
Last year, Colombia’s Office for Competition Protection launched a probe into Apple’s App Store rules.In its preliminary conclusion, it said that Apple had “employed abusive strategies that were contrary to free commerce.” Now, as reported by (via ), Colombia’s Superintendency of Industry and Commerce has formally announced an investigation that may require Apple to change some of its App Store rules in the country.Familiar concerns, familiar conclusions The preliminary probe found Apple in violation of a 1992 decree concerning the obstruction of third parties’ access to markets and/or distribution channels.
Colombia’s Office for Competition Protection concluded that Apple had “restricted the access of new participants in the digital application distribution market” by prohibiting alternatives to its App Store, and said The organ also concluded that Apple had “obstructed the access of iOS and iPadOS app developers to commercial channels” by prohibiting alternative payment methods: In its conclusion, the organ argued that Apple’s conduct had: Created artificial barriers that hindered the entry and permanence of new developers in the iOS and iPadOS ecosystem; Presented unjustified additional costs in the services and subscriptions offered through native applications within that ecosystem; Degraded the user experience by limiting service functionalities, payment options, and access to relevant information.Now, the country’s Superintendency of Industry and Commerce has picked up the investigation, but has not offered much detail about the next steps.Instead, it merely reaffirmed its commitment to free competition, to the market, and to consumers.
So while the timeline for the next steps may not be clear, readers can probably guess what may come next.Accessory deals on Amazon Apple AirTag 4 Pack, 29% off Apple AirTag, 21% off Beats USB-C to USB-C Woven Short Cable, 19% off Wireless CarPlay adapter, $10 off You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
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