Germany's competition watchdog has launched an investigation into Apple over its iOS operating system.
The authority said they had received various complaints about Apple's "potentially anticompetitive practices".
The investigation will examine whether the US technology giant is hindering free competition for its rivals with the operating system on its iPhone smartphones.
The Federal Antitrust Office said in a statement that the action was based on a new law strengthening their powers to act against digital companies.
Facebook, Amazon, and Google have all previously faced scrutiny for their practices in the areas of competition and data protection.
"We will now examine whether Apple has established a digital ecosystem across several markets around the iPhone with its proprietary operating system iOS," said Andreas Mundt, President of the authority.
Mundt said that the investigation will also look at Apple's technological and financial resources and its access to private information.
"A key focus will be the operation of the App Store, as in many cases it empowers Apple to influence the operations of third parties," added Mundt.
The authority added that they would assess whether Apple has a "paramount significance across markets" that stifles competition.
In a statement to AFP, Apple said it was "eager to discuss its approach" with German regulators and would have "an open dialogue about its concerns".
Apple added that it was "proud to be an engine for innovation and jobs". The iOS platform alone supports reportedly more than 250,000 jobs in Germany.
The US tech giant is currently facing a number of competition cases in the European Union, accused of unfairly dominating the technology market.
The German watchdog said it would liaise with the EU in their ongoing investigation into the App Store in the music streaming market.
melonshunter on June 29th, 2021 at 20:06 UTC »
I’m sure the Germans must have sent a very strongly worded fax.
xxsidoxx on June 29th, 2021 at 11:39 UTC »
I seriously don't understand why this sub love the apple app store so much and act like allow other apps to be installed would be the worst thing ever to happen to iOS. Mac allows any app to be installed (even tho they made that a little more annoying). Shouldn't the aim for iOS (especially on iPad) to be more like mac os? I feel like people here are just defending apple blindly here.
TheInternetCanBeNice on June 29th, 2021 at 10:04 UTC »
This is the kind of thing that could result in Apple being forced to something like allow side loading for any device sold in Germany.
The German government is full of the same technologically illiterate old people that most governments are composed of. I hope that Apple is able to find some policy change that releases the pressure here.
Otherwise we might end up in a bizarre way that Apple has to allow 3rd payment in Canada, side loading in Germany, and secondary stores in Russia.
I think that if they just let developers tell users, in app, about the store rules, let them show the App Store fee as a fee in the price breakdown, and let developers who didn't want to use IAP use a link to their website there'd be no problem.
They don't need to allow side loading, 3rd party payment, or secondary stores in order to relieve the anti-trust pressure here. But if they don't do something, different countries are going to force them to do a hodgepodge of things that will just make the platform worse. They're playing chicken with regulators and could be underestimating how electorally helpful it might be for German, French, Canadian, Russian, whatever, politicians to "teach Big American Tech a lesson".