Apple Inc.'s attempt to delay the release of an investigative report revealing its violations of competition laws has been rejected by the Indian antitrust authority, as reported by Reuters referencing an internal directive.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has dismissed Apple's plea, ensuring that the investigation into the tech giant's App Store practices within its iOS ecosystem will proceed as planned.
In a rare move in August, the CCI had initially withdrawn two investigative reports which outlined Apple's alleged contraventions of competition regulations. This action followed Apple's complaint that confidential commercial details had been leaked to competitors, including Match Group, the Tinder-app owner, in a case originating in 2021.
The core of the case involves accusations that Apple leveraged its market dominance to compel developers to utilize its exclusive in-app purchase mechanism, imposing fees as high as 30 percent. Apple has consistently denied any wrongful conduct.
Subsequent to Apple's complaint, the CCI requested all parties to return the reports and destroy any existing copies, later issuing revised versions.
According to the CCI's latest internal directive, Apple, in November, claimed that the Indian non-profit Together We Fight Society (TWFS), the primary complainant in the antitrust probe, failed to comply with mandates to confirm the destruction of the original reports.
An order dated November 13 reveals that Apple urged the CCI to penalize TWFS for non-adherence to the order and to suspend the publication of the revised report.
Nonetheless, the CCI stated that "Apple's request to suspend the investigation report was rendered unjustifiable."
The same internal directive indicated that Apple must provide its audited financial statements for the fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, in accordance with regulatory requirements. This action appears to be a step towards assessing potential financial penalties.
The CCI will issue a conclusive decision on this matter after senior officials have reviewed the investigatory findings.
Apple has been subject to antitrust scrutiny and rulings in regions such as Europe, Japan, and Korea and faces a series of legal challenges as well.
In March, the European Commission imposed a fine exceeding 1.8 billion euros on Apple for exploiting its dominant position with the App Store in the music streaming app distribution market to users of its iPhone and iPad devices.
