Apple App Store threatens censorship in Germany
Apple App Store threatens censorship in Germany

Germany's competition authority, FCO, announced Monday that it has begun an investigation into whether Apple abused its dominant position.

Previously, US technology competitors Facebook, Amazon and Google took similar steps.

As with similar investigations that began earlier this year, the lawsuit will determine whether iPhone manufacturers are meeting the threshold of updated German competition law.

In January, the Act's 10th Amendment went into effect, allowing active interference in the practices of large digital companies to prevent them from engaging in anti-competitive practices.

The comprehensive review of German antitrust law is aimed primarily at major technology companies. It's about keeping the market open, fostering innovation, and avoiding abuse.

This is accomplished through FCO requirements such as bans, self-preference restrictions, blocking product chains from entering neighboring markets, or banning interoperability and data access to deter competitors, to name a few.

Depending on the specific circumstances of the individual case and specific ecosystem actions, various regulations can be issued to classify tech giants as legally manageable.

The operation of the App Store by Apple is at the center of the investigation as it could affect the businesses of third parties.

The agency is investigating whether Apple has created a digital ecosystem that covers multiple markets around the iPhone via iOS.

Apple manufactures tablets, computers, and mobile devices and offers a variety of hardware-related services.

Apple threatens censorship in Germany:

The tech company also offers the App Store, iCloud, Apple Music, AppleCare, Apple Arcade, and Apple TV+. Among other services as part of the Business Services.

The agency studies its overall integration at several levels in the market, the extent of its technical and financial resources and access to data.

The British Foreign Office said it had received numerous complaints against Apple about potential anti-competitive practices.

One complaint came from the advertising industry about Apple restricting user tracking to access iOS 14.5.

There have been complaints about the exclusive installation of the company's apps for the first time as a potential form of legally prohibited self-preference.

App developers also criticize the mandatory use of Apple's in-app purchase system. In addition, the commission rate is 30%.

In this context, the issue of marketing restrictions for app developers in the Apple App Store has also been resolved.

For its part, Apple said: “Apple prides itself on being an engine for innovation and job creation. In Germany, the iOS app economy supports more than 250,000 workstations.

“The economic growth and activities of the App Store give German developers the opportunity to share their creativity with users around the world and create a safe place for customers to download apps while protecting their privacy.



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