Apple's anti-Apple App Store rules have been declared illegal in Brazil in the latest antitrust ruling against the company. It means Apple can no longer prevent developers from linking to their own websites to sell in-app content like books, movies, music and games.
The Cupertino company was already required to allow third-party app stores in the EU and allow U.S. developers to sell in-app content outside the App Store …
Brazil has become the latest country to find Apple has violated competition law by exercising monopoly control over the sale of iPhone apps and in-app purchases.
Complies with EU and US antitrust rules
Apple's biggest losses have come in the EU, where it was forced to allow third-party app stores, allowing customers and developers to bypass the official App Store entirely if they wish. So far, the company has done so in a way that could be described as malicious compliance, and it seems almost certain that it will be found to have failed to properly comply with the law.
In the US, a lawsuit filed by Epic Games led to a ruling that Apple must allow developers to link to external places to buy content, such as the app maker's own website. Again, the company did so in a way that a judge found inconsistent with her ruling. A second judge implied that Apple lied about not being motivated by money.
Anti-steering rules declared illegal in Brazil
Reuters reports on the latest developments.
Brazil's antitrust regulator Cade said on Monday that Apple should lift restrictions on payment methods for in-app purchases, among other things, as the watchdog moved to investigate a complaint filed by Latin American e-commerce giant MercadoLibre […]
In the complaint, MercadoLibre criticized the California tech giant for requiring developers offering digital goods or services in apps to use Apple's own payment system and prohibiting them from redirecting shoppers to its websites.
Cade ruled that Apple must allow app developers to add tools so that customers can buy their services or products outside the app, such as through hyperlinks to external websites.
Just 20 days to comply, but meaningless fines
Apple has just 20 days to comply with the ruling or face daily fines.
However, the maximum fine that can be imposed is R$250,000 (US$43,000), which is clearly a paltry amount for Apple. Whether the company will comply by the deadline remains to be seen.
Photo by Agustin Diaz Gargiulo on Unsplash
