Spanish competition regulator investigates Apple App Store

Spain’s antitrust authority has opened an investigation into Apple’s App Store.

The investigation, announced on Wednesday (July 24) by the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC), is the latest in a series of similar actions by regulators involving the tech giant’s online store.

The CNMC wants to determine whether Apple’s App Store practices violate competition laws (CLA).

“In particular, Apple may engage in anticompetitive practices by imposing unfair commercial terms on developers who use Apple’s App Store to distribute apps to users of Apple products,” the commission said in a press release.

“These practices can be considered as very serious breaches of LDC regulations, which can result in financial penalties of up to 10% of the total worldwide turnover of the offending companies in the year preceding the imposition of the financial penalty.”

PYMNTS reached out to Apple for comment but has not yet received a response. The Reuters report included a statement from the company denying that it imposed unfair terms on developers using its store.

“Spanish developers of all sizes compete on a level playing field in the App Store,” the company said. “Apple will continue to work with the Spanish Competition Authority to understand and address their concerns.”

The news comes weeks after India’s antitrust regulator accused Apple of abusing its dominant position in the app store market.

A Reuters report — citing confidential information from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) — said the regulator accused Apple of “abusive practices and practices” in the app store market. Apple has apparently denied wrongdoing, saying it plays a minor role in the app world in India, where Android devices are more popular.

The CCI investigation — which is not public, though its report has been seen by Reuters — alleges that Apple has a “significant influence” over how digital products and services reach consumers, particularly through its iOS platform and App Store.

“The Apple App Store is an unavoidable trading partner for app developers and as a result, app developers have no choice but to abide by Apple’s unfair terms and conditions, including the mandatory use of Apple’s proprietary billing and payment system,” the CCI said. “From an app developer’s perspective, the Apple iOS ecosystem is irreplaceable.”

As PYMNTS reports, Apple recently reached an agreement with the European Union to make its tap-and-go technology available to other companies, avoiding a fine and ending a four-year antitrust investigation.