Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Apple says App Store rules support 330,000 UK jobs as it hits back at competition investigation

Apple says App Store rules support 330,000 UK jobs as it hits back at competition investigation

The claim is the latest response from the company following a range of competition complaints brought in the UK, EU and US.

Apple says its App Store rules support 330,000 jobs in the UK following an announcement that it was being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority.

Earlier this month the CMA confirmed it had received complaints from "several developers reporting that Apple's terms and conditions are unfair and could break competition law".

The regulator did not reveal the identity of these developers, but the company's most powerful rival and critic in recent months - Facebook - has filed competition complaints about Apple elsewhere, as have Spotify and Fortnite-maker Epic Games.

The CMA said its investigation involved establishing "whether Apple has a dominant position in connection with the distribution of apps on Apple devices in the UK".

Apple acknowledges that it does - with significant government pressure that it continues to do so to ensure apps are safe for children.

But the crucial question for the CMA is "whether Apple imposes unfair or anti-competitive terms on developers using the App Store, ultimately resulting in users having less choice or paying higher prices for apps and add-ons".

Apple said the App Store's rigorous standards were "applied fairly and equally to all developers" and emphasised the economic contribution the store makes.

It said the number of jobs tied to iOS app development grew by more than 10% last year.

Apple today repeated the argument about its economic contribution, saying: "Developers across the UK generated to date more than £3.6bn in total earnings - growing 22% in 2020 from the previous year.

"That trend echoed across Europe, where the iOS app economy grew to support 1.7 millions jobs - a 7% increase since 2019," the company added.

The European Commission is also investigating the App Store's rules.

Companies such as Spotify and Epic Games have complained that their revenues are diminished by being required to pay 30% of subscriber fees to Apple when payment is made through the App Store.

Apple will display a prompt giving users a choice over app tracking


It comes ahead of the expected launch of Apple's new App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature in iOS 14, which is expected later this month - bringing what Facebook describes as "a discouraging prompt" if any apps such as Facebook's attempt to track them or access their device's advertising identifier.

Facebook claimed the feature would harm app developers and small businesses, and that it was an anti-competitive measure designed to benefit Apple's own advertising features.

Apple responded by saying it welcomed in-app advertising and was not prohibiting tracking, "simply requiring each app to obtain explicit user consent in order to track so that it will be more transparent and under user control".

Facebook's criticisms came as the social media company also announced it would be joining Fortnite maker Epic Games' legal fight against Apple.

It said it would be providing relevant information on how Apple's policies adversely impacted the company.

"Apple has every incentive to use their dominant platform position to interfere with how our apps and other apps work, which they regularly do," Mr Zuckerberg told investors at the time.

"They say they are doing this to help people, but the moves clearly track their competitive interests."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×