Proton takes Apple to court, claims App Store rules allegedly kill competition and innovation
Apple has not yet responded to Proton's claims, and the company typically defends its App Store policies as a way to protect users and ensure app quality. However, its practices have drawn increasing scrutiny from regulators and developers in recent years.advertisementIn March, Apple was fined 500 million (around 5,007 crore) by EU antitrust regulators for restricting developers from telling users about cheaper alternatives outside the App Store. Under pressure from the EU's new Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple has since agreed to loosen some rules, at least in Europe.Reportedly, Apple now allows EU developers to include multiple links in their apps to direct users to external payment platforms. However, Apple still charges a fee ranging from 5 per cent to 15 per cent for such transactions, depending on the developer's size and service used. Developers who stick with Apple's in-app purchase system continue to pay up to 20 per cent, though smaller developers pay as little as 13 per cent.Despite these changes, critics say Apple's compliance with the DMA is only partial. Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, which sued Apple in 2020, described the App Store changes in the EU as 'a mockery of fair competition.' Sweeney accused Apple of punishing developers who use third-party payment systems by limiting their app features and making the user experience worse.In April this year, a US judge ruled in favour of Epic, finding that Apple had wilfully violated a 2021 court order meant to open the App Store to more competition. The judge said Apple's insistence on charging a 27 per cent fee for external purchases was more about maintaining profits than protecting users. The case has now been referred to federal prosecutors to examine whether Apple's actions warrant criminal contempt. Apple has said it will appeal. - Ends
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