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Apple Rejects CCI Competition Law Allegations, Seeks to Quash Antitrust Investigation Report
Apple has questioned the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) anti-trust investigation, alleging that the investigation report is a "copy-paste" of rival companies' claims.
The giant American technology company, Apple, is challenging India's anti-trust investigation. According to Apple, the CCI’s investigators have used information presented by competing companies and failed to conduct an independent investigation. Apple has refuted the allegations of violation of competition laws and requested the annulment of the findings of the investigation.
In the documents submitted to the CCI on June 25, Apple stated that the report of the investigation was not based on any independent analysis, and instead, it was just a “copy-paste” of the claims made by the competing firms. The case is considered to be one of the most significant regulatory challenges for Apple in India. Among the main complainants are Match Group (the owner of Tinder), PhonePe, and Paytm.
The CCI report alleged that Apple engaged in abusive practices on its App Store for iOS. Apple denies the allegations, stating that the business model of the App Store is straightforward and secure. It states that the mandatory changes imposed on it by the regulators can damage the entire ecosystem. The company has opposed any fines or orders that would force it to change its business model.
In the documents, Apple claimed that the CCI's Director General did not independently investigate or verify the arguments of complainants such as Match Group, PhonePe, and Paytm, but instead incorporated them almost verbatim into his report. The company also alleged that a graph related to the mobile app and gaming market in the investigation report was taken from the European Union's 2024 decision without adequate analysis, even though India's market conditions are different.
