A court-appointed judas has approved a class-action lawsuit against Apple’s App Store policy. Initially, the lawsuit focused on the restrictive nature of the App Store and its anti-competitive practices, which prohibited the use of alternative payment options and the installation of apps from other sources on iPhones. As Apple is the sole provider of the app store for iPhones, it charges developers high commissions. The lawsuit suggests that the 30% commission Apple collects from all transactions in the store is a significant factor in price increases.
In March 2022, a judge rejected the possibility of approving the class of plaintiffs. However, an updated proposal that includes users who have spent at least $10 on app purchases prompted the judge to reconsider the case. The updated scope covers tens of millions of users and could have a massive impact on the app economy, raising concerns about anti-competitive practices (according to Reuters).
Although the lawsuit against Apple has been deemed valid, Judge Rogers emphasized that it is possible that millions of class members have not suffered any harm. The judge also heard testimony from Nobel laureate Daniel McFadden, who estimated the damages caused by Apple’s practices and policies in the App Store. If the lawsuit were to proceed against Apple, the company would be required to pay significant fines. However, this is not the only problem for Apple. The company is well aware that legal regulations can introduce anti-competitive policies in the digital app market.
Apple has until March 6th to comply with the changes in the App Store resulting from the Digital Markets Act. Laws targeting Apple in the United States could develop similarly, demanding that Apple open up the App Store and reconsider its policies. Apple would need to allow the installation of apps from other companies, as well as enable the use of alternative app stores and dedicated payment methods. However, these are just speculations and would only apply if the lawsuit is expanded, addressing the company’s pricing models, app competition, and consumer rights in the United States.
Similar to the European Union, Japan is also working on the Digital Antitrust Law, aimed at preventing anti-competitive practices by companies such as Apple and Google. This is intended to prevent them from obtaining dominance in digital markets and also enable the offering of alternative app stores and the use of unofficial sources for app installation.
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The source of the article is from the blog coletivometranca.com.br