Russia Fines Apple $12 Million for Violating Anti-Monopoly Legislation
The Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation has fined Apple $12 million (RUB 906,299,392.16) for violating anti-monopoly legislation.
In August 2020, FAS Russia found that Apple abused its dominant position in the iOS mobile app distribution market through a series of sequential actions that resulted in a competitive advantage for its own products and at the same time worsened the distribution conditions for competing “parental control” applications. The investigation was initiated following a complaint from Kaspersky Lab.
The FAS also noted that Apple’s terms provide it with unlimited discretion, which could lead to restriction of competition in adjacent markets.
The regulator has issued a remedial order to Apple, according to which the organization must remove from its documentation provisions that give it the right to reject (not allow) third-party applications in the App Store for any reason, even if they meet all the requirements. The directive also requires Apple to ensure that in-house apps do not take precedence over third-party apps, and that developers of parental control apps can distribute apps to the App Store without losing critical functionality.
Apple has appealed the ruling. You can download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for updates.
