The Brazilian antitrust authority is examining Apple for allegedly enforcing anti-competitive terms within the App Store. While the company was granted an extension to present its defense after a judge lifted an injunction against the App Store last year, Apple is now required to attend a public hearing in Brazil regarding this case.
Apple’s App Store Under Antitrust Investigation in Brazil
According to Estadão (via MacMagazine), the Brazilian antitrust agency, Cade, plans to hold a public hearing next week focusing on “competition-related aspects” of the iOS ecosystem. Additionally, since Android is also under investigation by Cade, Google will be required to participate in this hearing.
Cade states that the purpose of the hearing is to explore methods to “address digital market issues” and the “increasing number of complaints regarding economic violations” linked to mobile devices and their operating systems.
The report indicates that companies like Match (the parent company of Tinder) and Epic Games, known for its legal disagreements with Apple over Fortnite, have lodged complaints against both Apple and Google with the Brazilian authority. Representatives from Match and Epic are anticipated to present their cases at the hearing.
The antitrust investigation against Apple was initiated following accusations from Latin American e-commerce leader Mercado Libre, claiming that Apple coerced developers of digital products or services to utilize Apple’s payment system within their apps. In addition, Cade is scrutinizing Apple for the “tying” practice, which involves imposing anti-competitive conditions on iOS.
In November 2024, Cade determined that Apple could no longer restrict developers from selling content and distributing apps outside of the App Store in Brazil. Apple was given 20 days to comply with Brazilian antitrust law, or face penalties exceeding $40,000 daily. Apple contested this ruling, and a judge decided that the injunction was unwarranted, providing the company additional time to address the matter.
The trial is projected to occur in the forthcoming months, and should Apple be unsuccessful, it will be required to modify its App Store operations in Brazil.
In a related development, the report also highlights that the Brazilian government intends to regulate other major technology firms, including Meta and Amazon, in the near future. This follows US President Donald Trump’s warning of potentially higher tariffs on Brazilian imports.
