Australian regulator to probe competition between Apple and Google
Australia’s competition watchdog has said it is going to take a deeper look at the use of data by apps and the extent of competition between the app stores of Apple and Google.
It follows a major antitrust investigation of Apple’s app store policies in the EU announced earlier this year, as well as other smaller probes.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s deputy chair Delia Rickard said the regulator is “interested in how data is used and shared in the app ecosystem, including the data available to Google and Apple as a result of their control of the major app stores”.
Australia has been one of the biggest proponents of increasing regulation and scrutiny over tech giants.
Later this year it will become the first country to force the likes of Google and Facebook to pay news publishers to show snippets of their content in previews.
The commission will carry out a consumer survey on app purchases and use, which will form part of a five-year inquiry.
The investigation will produce reports every six months examining markets for the supply of digital platform services in Australia, with a final report expected in March 2021.
Apple is also in the middle of a high-profile legal tussle with Fortnite creator Epic Games, after the gaming company flouted Apple’s App Store rules by allowing users to buy in-game products direct from Epic.
Apple has faced criticism over its high commission fees, which it charges every company that lists an app on the App Store. All purchases made on an iOS app must be made through Apple, from which the iPhone creator takes a cut of up to 30 per cent.