CCI Rejects Apple's Request To Put Revised Antitrust Report On Hold, Here's What We Know

CCI in its order said, "Apple's request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable."

Senior officials at the CCI will now examine the investigation findings before issuing a final decision.

Source : Unsplash/Keming Tan

iPhone maker Apple might be headed towards a tough time ahead as the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has turned down its request to put a hold on an investigation report that found the company breaching competition laws, news agency Reuters reported. This disapproval from CCI has allowed the case against Apple to continue. CCI in its order said, "Apple's request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable."

Back in August, the CCI ordered a recall of investigation report after the iPhone maker alleged that the antitrust body had disclosed its commercial assets to the competitors including Tinder-owner Match. The CCI instructed the parties to return the reports and eliminate any copies. Subsequently, the regulator issued revised versions of the reports.

According to an internal CCI order, Apple claimed in November that the primary complainant in the antitrust investigation, the Indian non-profit Together We Fight Society (TWFS), failed to follow directives to confirm the destruction of previous investigation reports. Apple urged the CCI to "take action against TWFS for non-compliance with its order" and requested that the updated report be withheld. This was detailed in a CCI order dated November 13, as seen by Reuters.

Apple Exploited Dominant Position In Market

A CCI investigation concluded that Apple misused its dominant position in the iOS app store market, causing harm to app developers, users, and competing payment processors. Apple, however, refutes these allegations, arguing that it is a minor player in India, where devices running Google’s Android operating system dominate the market.

According to an internal CCI order, Apple has been directed to provide its audited financial statements for the fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, Reuters reported. This is part of the regulatory process to evaluate potential monetary penalties in the case. Senior officials at the CCI will now examine the investigation findings before issuing a final decision.