Tim Hardwick
A Brazilian federal court has overturned an antitrust ruling that required Apple to allow third-party payment systems to operate in the App Store for 20 days.
The original ruling, issued on November 26, came in response to a 2022 complaint from Latin American e-commerce platform MercadoLibre. The regulator ordered Apple to lift restrictions on alternative payment systems and allow developers to offer different payment options for in-app purchases, threatening daily fines of $43,000 for non-compliance.
However, Judge Eduardo Santos da Rocha Penteado of the 14th Federal Civil Court on Thursday called the initial decision by Brazil's competition regulator (Cade) “disproportionate and unnecessary.”
In his ruling, Penteado acknowledged that the measures required by Cade would “sensitively and structurally alter” Apple's business operations. He said the technical complexity of the changes required and the global regulatory framework, particularly similar decisions in the European Union, required more careful consideration.
The decision came hours after reports emerged that Apple had appealed the initial order, arguing that the changes required were too complex to implement within the deadline.
While the ban was overturned, a broader antitrust investigation into Apple's App Store practices will continue. Cade is expected to appeal the ruling, and Apple may still be forced to make changes to its App Store policies in Brazil.
The case follows similar regulatory challenges Apple faces around the world, including a recent €1.8 billion fine from the European Commission for restrictions on music streaming apps. Apple has consistently argued that the Brazilian regulator's demands would jeopardize users' privacy and security.
(Via 9to5Mac.)
Tags: Apple Antitrust, App Store, Brazil[ 12 comments ]
