By Luís Daniel Rijo — Jun 29, 2021

Germany starts antitrust investigation against Apple

Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s Federal Antitrust Office, this month announced an antitrust investigation against Apple.

Bundeskartellamt is evaluating Apple’s new restrictions on ad tracking, and the pre-installation of Apple’s own applications.

Bundeskartellamt said it is also evaluating the 30 percent commission rate in Apple’s App Store.

“We will now examine whether with its proprietary operating system iOS, Apple has created a digital ecosystem around its iPhone that extends across several markets. Apple produces tablets, computers and wearables and provides a host of device-related services,” said Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt. “In addition to manufacturing various hardware products, the tech company also offers the App Store, iCloud, AppleCare, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV+ as well as other services as part of its services business. Besides assessing the company’s position in these areas, we will, among other aspects, examine its extensive integration across several market levels, the magnitude of its technological and financial resources and its access to data. A main focus of the investigations will be on the operation of the App Store as it enables Apple in many ways to influence the business activities of third parties.”

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