News JVTech This country of 200 million inhabitants issues an ultimatum to Apple: the brand no longer has a choice
Published on 11/30/2024 at 5:20 p.m.
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Apple continues to be looked at askance in certain countries around the world regarding the closure of its services. The decisions taken in Europe against the App Store give ideas to certain other countries, which do not hesitate to issue an ultimatum to the company.
How far is Apple willing to go to maintain a monopoly on its payment system within the App Store? The question really arises, when the Cupertino company had no other choice than to open iOS to alternative download platforms in order to be able to continue selling its products in Europe. In the rest of the world, however, Apple continues to enforce its own rules, but that could change.
Brazil gets angry with Apple
In Brazil, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) has decided to take its turn. On Monday, November 25, he ordered Apple to lift restrictions on payment methods for in-app purchases, and gave it 20 days to do so. The request also includes the establishment of communication allowing developers to inform users of their applications about payment possibilities outside the App Store.
Reuters
explains that this request comes as Cade has opened an investigation following a complaintfiled in 2022, by e-commerce giant MercadoLibre against Apple. This South American e-commerce giant accuses Apple of imposing unjustified restrictions on the distribution of digital goods through applications available within iOS. The impossibility of selling content outside of applications and the need to go through Apple’s payment system, which charges a generous percentage along the way, are at the heart of the matter.
Apple faces a risky and expensive choice
If the American company does not comply with Cade’s request before the end of the 20-day period, she risks being subject to a non-compliance fine equivalent to 41,000 euros per day of delay. Approached by Reuters, Apple did not wish to comment on the situationbut we imagine that the request goes as badly as in Europe.
Brazil is a country with 200 million inhabitants and Apple probably does not want to deprive itself of such a market. Also, the firm will undoubtedly have no other choice than to apply in Brazil what it already does in Europe : the tools are already ready, the deadlines for putting them in place could therefore be relatively short. But on the other hand, if Apple accepts the Brazilian requests, this will not prevent other countries from making the same. And on this account, Apple could well say goodbye to its near-monopoly position in the App Store.
