The US corporation Apple has disputed the findings of the Indian Antitrust Authority (CCI) regarding the violation of Indian law and has asked the regulator's evidence to be quashed. Reuters reported this.
Apple claims that the CCI did not conduct its own investigation into the company's violations of Indian laws and used data from its competitors without verification, which accuse the US technology giant of abusing the iOS operating system and forcing customers to use its payment system. “Such allegations, which the CCI has not critically assessed, and the threat of fines risk disrupting Apple's integrated business model in India and reducing foreign direct investment in its digital economy“, the company said.
According to the CCI, Apple has delayed the investigation for more than a year and has refused to respond to the investigators' requests. In this regard, the agency had earlier issued a final warning to the technology giant regarding the mandatory payment of a fine, which the corporation is currently challenging in the Delhi High Court. Apple has also opposed India's new practice of calculating fines based on the company's global turnover. The American smartphone maker claims that this practice is “unconstitutional, disproportionate and unfair“.
According to the new rules, Apple could be fined up to $38 billion. The investigation was prompted by complaints from Indian startups and Match Group (owner of Tinder), who accused Apple of abusing its position, in particular by imposing mandatory use of its payment system and charging high fees for in-app purchases.
In December 2021, the CCI acknowledged that Apple's policy limited developers' choice of in-app payment methods, but a final decision on the case was not issued due to the ongoing antitrust investigation.