Apple may become the first tech company to be charged by EU regulators under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The Financial Times reports that EU regulators are going to charge Apple for allegedly "stifling competition" on the App Store. Sources familiar with the investigation told the Financial Times that the European Commission "has determined" that Apple is charging developers linking users to outside purchases. The EU announced in March that it was investigating Apple, in addition to Google's parent company, Alphabet, and Meta, alleging these tech giants violated the EU antitrust laws under the DMA.
The DMA is a new regulation that took effect late last year. It is part of the EU's effort to rein in the perceived dominance and alleged anti-competitive practices of major players in big tech. One of the new changes introduced to the DMA is the ability for other companies to release third-party app stores within the Apple App Store or Google Play. Epic Games and Microsoft are among the biggest names with intentions of launching their own app stores inside Apple and Google's digital storefronts.
Apple is also facing a legal issue in the United States. In March, the United States Department of Justice announced it was suing Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of "illegally maintaining a monopoly" over the smartphone market.
Apple has been the subject of scrutiny, with some arguing that it is a gatekeeper for their platform to limit competition. The discussion catapulted more specifically in 2020 when Epic Games announced it was suing Apple, accusing the company of engaging in antitrust behavior on the App Store.
Apple came out victorious in the case; Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California ruled in 2021 that Apple is not considered a monopoly. An appeal was filed, though the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirmed the lower court's decision, with the Supreme Court of the United States rejecting to hear the lawsuit last January.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
