According to reports, Apple has been sued for antitrust violations by Match, the maker of the well-known dating software Tinder. According to a source, Match has accused Apple of engaging in monopolistic behaviour because of its 30 percent commission imposed on in-app purchases in its most recent challenge against the iPhone maker’s in-app purchase fee. It allegedly also contended that Apple’s insistence on required in-app purchases hindered app developers’ ability to innovate and advance. Current opposition to the Cupertino company’s App Store policy comes from a number of businesses across numerous nations.
Match has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the Competition Commission of India (CCI), alleging “monopolistic behaviour” on the company’s policy of “excessive” commissions on in-app purchases for software housed on its App Store. According to the report, this is the first non-Indian company to challenge Apple in an antitrust case in India.Apple charges app creators a 30 percent commission on all purchases made in applications and games, and it previously removed the well-known battle royale game Fortnite from the App Store because its creator, Epic Games, refused to follow the App Store’s rules and split profits with the firm.
Following the report, Match claimed that Apple did not support the payment methods used by consumers in other countries and that a “state backed online transfer mechanism” was preferred, most likely referring to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). According to reports, Match has also contended that its apps are not covered by Apple’s decision to lower its commission for smaller developers to 15%.
Apple has claimed in the past that it is not the market leader in the nation, claiming that it had a market share of up to 5%. A thorough investigation of the company’s suspected unfair business practises in relation to the Indian App Store was mandated by the CCI last year.
The report also asserts that Match accuses Apple of discriminating against online taxi hailing services like Ola and Uber because they are permitted to offer alternative payment methods that avoid Apple’s 30% commission. This is because these companies offer physical goods and services. Apple has reportedly ruled that both apps are distinct, despite the company’s claims that it provides a “similar matchmaking” function.
