Germany opens antitrust probe against Apple

Germany opens antitrust probe against Apple

BERLIN: Germany on Monday opened an investigation against Apple over anti-competition practices, making the iPhone maker the fourth US tech giant to be hit by such probes. The antitrust authority had in recent weeks opened similar investigations against Amazon, Google and Facebook under a new law that took effect in January giving regulators more powers to rein in big tech companies.

The watchdog said it has initiated the first stage of the probe to determine if Apple has "cross-market significance“. "An ecosystem extending across different markets can be one indication of such a position held by a company,“ said the authority. "Such positions of power can make it very hard for other companies to counter it.“

Andreas Mundt, who heads the Federal Cartel Office, said his service will look at whether Apple has established such a digital ecosystem across several markets around the iPhone with its proprietary operating system iOS. "A key focus of the investigation will be the operation of the App Store, because in many cases, it empowers Apple to have an influence on the business activities of third parties,“ he added.

An Apple spokesperson underlined the company's contribution to the employment market in Germany, saying its iOS app economy supported