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CCI denies Apple's request to halt antitrust inquiry into iOS App Store practice
The CCI has denied Apple's request to halt an inquiry report finding the company in violation of competition rules, allowing the investigation to continue
The Competition Commission of India has rejected Apple's plea seeking to hold an investigation report that found that the iPhone maker allegedly breached competition laws, allowing the case to continue, Reuters reported.
In August, the antitrust regulator ordered a recall of the probe reports after the Cupertino-based tech giant claimed the watchdog revealed commercial secrets to rivals in a 2021 case, including Tinder-owner Match.
According to the Reuters report, the CCI asked parties to return the reports and destroy any copies. The regulator issued new reports.
According to the CCI internal order, Apple in November alleged that the main complainant in the antitrust investigation, Indian non-profit Together We Fight Society (TWFS), had not complied with the directives to give an assurance that the old investigation reports had been destroyed.
Apple also asked the CCI "to take action against TWFS for non-compliance with its order" and "to withhold the revised" report, November 13 CCI order showed.
"Apple's request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable," the CCI said in the order.
Apple did not respond to Reuters queries.
The CCI did not respond outside regular business hours on Sunday. Calls to representatives of TWFS went unanswered.
A CCI investigation claimed that Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system to the detriment of app developers, users and other payment processors.
Apple denied wrongdoing and said it is a small player in India where phones that use Google's Android system are dominant.
The CCI internal order also showed that Apple has been asked to submit its audited financial statements for fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 under regulatory guidelines aimed at determining possible monetary penalties in the case.
The CCI's senior officials will review the investigation report and make a final ruling on the case.
