Apple has appealed a ruling by Brazil's CADE regulator.
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Apple has appealed a ruling by Brazil's antitrust regulator that requires the company to allow third-party downloads or face daily fines.
In 2022, an antitrust complaint against Apple was filed with Brazil's regulator CADE (short for Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica). The complaint alleged that Apple forced developers to use its own payment system. Following an investigation into the company, a ruling was issued against Apple in November 2024.
CADE gave Apple 20 days to lift the restrictions on in-app payment methods and redirect customers to external sites. If Apple fails to comply, it could face a fine of R$250,000, or about $43,000 per day. Apple has now filed an appeal, calling the decision “arbitrary” and saying it “severely threatens” user privacy and security.
The TeleSintese report, discovered by 9to5mac on Thursday, is in Portuguese, meaning the statements included here are translations. Apple explained that it would be impossible to comply with the decision within the 20-day deadline, saying it would need more time to implement “complex technical changes” that would ensure compliance.
The company also reportedly said the decision was “by no means urgent” because the App Store’s business model has remained largely unchanged for a number of years.
Obviously, this is not the first time that Apple's App Store policies have come under fire. In the United States, Apple was involved in a high-profile lawsuit against Epic Games, which it ultimately lost. However, in the European Union, Apple was forced to allow third-party app marketplaces and develop an entirely new commission system for the region.
In 2021, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into the iOS App Store over allegations that it was being used to restrict competition. However, in August 2024, the CMA closed its investigation without reaching a final conclusion, citing more pressing issues.
Similarly, in June 2023, the Japanese government proposed a new law aimed at forcing third-party app marketplaces on Apple and Google. A year later, in 2024, the law was approved by the country's parliament and is expected to come into force in 2025.
The iPhone maker could theoretically repurpose its existing alternative app marketplace model for use in other regions, which would likely satisfy both local regulators and consumers. However, the Brazilian regulator has yet to respond to the company's latest appeal, leaving the future of the case uncertain.
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