Apple’s Audit pressure on App Store policies continued on different fronts in Europe, while a new move from Spain drew attention. The Spanish Competition Authority CNMC announced that it has decided to expand the Apple investigation launched in July 2024 in line with the newly obtained documents. This decision came up at a time when Apple tried to open a new page in its relations with the European Commission.
The Spanish authorities claim that Apple forced it to comply with its own pricing schemes so that they can publish applications on the App Store. CNMC evaluates that this approach may have restrictive effects on competition and may be contrary to the law of European Union. Authorities, the new documents obtained support these doubts, stating that they need to expand the scope of the investigation, he said.
Dialogue continues between Spain and Apple
It is stated that CNMC has given the current investigation for another year. However, the institution emphasized that the expanded investigation does not mean a final decision. Apple rejects the allegations. The company argues that the App Store offers a safe environment for users and provides developers a system that earns worldwide. Apple also states that he has dialogue with the competition authority in Spain and expects the correct evaluation of the issues he expresses.
Developments in Spain are not completely independent of Apple’s wider regulation process with the European Commission. Apple recently announced new arrangements for developers in the EU, offering various flexibility in the App Store policies. These include allowing external payment systems under certain conditions and commissioning a new pricing structure. However, despite these changes, Apple’s control power on the platform is still controversial by some countries.
According to a report published by Reuters, the European Commission is close to approved Apple’s latest regulations. However, this does not mean that the competition authorities at the national level will give up similar investigations. The Spanish example shows that Apple can face independent audits in different judicial fields.
Apart from Spain, digital market inspections have recently increased in countries such as France, Germany and the Netherlands. In particular, the control power of major technology companies on the digital ecosystem has entered the radar of many European countries. In this context, Apple is predicted not only with the European Commission, but also with independent authorities of different countries.