India’s antitrust authority, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has rejected Apple’s attempt to pause an ongoing investigation into alleged breaches of competition laws, according to an internal order seen by Reuters. This decision comes after a complex sequence involving the recall and reissuance of investigation reports due to concerns over the disclosure of Apple’s commercial secrets.
The controversy began when Apple (AAPL) claimed that the CCI had inadvertently shared sensitive information with competitors such as Tinder-owner Match, leading to a recall of the initial reports in August. After ordering the destruction of these documents, the CCI issued revised reports but faced new allegations from Apple. The tech giant argued that Together We Fight Society (TWFS), the primary complainant in this case, had not complied with the directive to confirm the destruction of previous reports. Apple sought action against TWFS and a suspension of the revised investigation report, requests that were ultimately deemed “untenable” by the CCI.
This case revolves around Apple’s practices in the app market, where the CCI’s investigation concluded that Cupertino had exploited its dominant position in the iOS app store ecosystem, impacting app developers, users, and payment processors negatively. Despite these accusations, Apple maintains that it holds a minor market share in India, overshadowed by Google’s Android dominance, and denies any wrongdoing.
The CCI’s refusal to put the investigation on hold underscores the regulator’s commitment to proceed with the case, which could have significant implications for Apple’s operations in India. The commission has also requested Apple to provide audited financial statements for the fiscal years 2021-22 to 2023-24 to assess potential penalties. The case remains under review by senior CCI officials, who will make the final determination.
This ongoing legal scrutiny reflects broader global trends where tech giants face increasing regulatory challenges over market practices, particularly in digital marketplaces. The outcome of this investigation could set precedents for how digital competition is regulated in one of the world’s largest tech consumer markets.
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