Apple’s App Store anti-steering rules have been declared illegal in Brazil, in the latest antitrust ruling against the company. This means Apple can no longer ban developers from linking to their own websites to sell in-app content like books, movies, music, and games.
The Cupertino company has already been required to allow third-party app stores in the EU, and to allow US developers to sell in-app content outside of the App Store …
Brazil is the latest country to declare Apple in breach of competition law by exerting monopolistic control over the sale of iPhone apps and in-app purchases.
Follows EU and US antitrust rulings
Apple’s biggest loss was in the EU, where it was required to allow third-party app stores, allowing customers and developers to completely bypass the official App Store if they wish. So far the company has done so in a manner described as malicious compliance, and it seems near-certain that it will be ruled to have failed to properly comply with the law.
In the US, a lawsuit brought by Epic Games resulted in a ruling that Apple must permit developers to link to external places to buy content, such as the app creator’s own website. Again, the company has done this in a way which the judge has indicated does not comply with her ruling. A second judge implied that Apple lied about not being motivated by money.
Anti-steering rules declared illegal in Brazil
Reuters reports on the latest development.
Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade said on Monday that Apple must lift restrictions on payment methods for in-app purchases, among other things, as the watchdog moved to proceed with an investigation into a complaint filed by Latin America e-commerce giant MercadoLibre […]
In the complaint, MercadoLibre criticized the California tech giant for requiring developers that offer digital goods or services within apps to use Apple’s own payment system and stopping them from redirecting buyers to their websites.
Cade ruled that Apple must allow app developers to add tools so customers can buy their services or products outside the app, such as through the use of hyperlinks to external websites.
Just 20 days to comply, but meaningless fines
Apple has just 20 days to comply with the ruling or face daily fines.
However, the maximum fine which can be imposed is 250,000 real (US$43,000), which is clearly a trivial sum for Apple. Whether the company will comply by the deadline remains to be seen.
Photo by Agustin Diaz Gargiulo on Unsplash
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