Apple Halts Indian Antitrust Probe With Confidentiality Complaint

India's Competition Commission has recalled two investigative reports accusing Apple of antitrust violations after the company raised concerns about the disclosure of confidential commercial information (via Reuters).

apple india
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has withdrawn two key reports that alleged Apple breached local competition laws. The recall, which is highly unusual, comes after the company filed a complaint claiming that the reports contained sensitive commercial data that was improperly disclosed to its competitors, including Tinder-owner Match Group. The commission has not publicly detailed the exact nature of the confidential information in question, but it is believed to primarily concern financial data related to Apple's operations in India.

The reports were part of a prolonged investigation into Apple's practices in the Indian market, focusing on allegations that the company abused its dominant position in the app store market to force developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system. The system, which charges commissions of up to 30%, has been a subject of scrutiny around the world, with regulators in Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the United States raising similar concerns about its impact on competition and market fairness.

Apple's defense in the case centers on its argument that it is a minor presence in India, where only 3.5% of the country's 690 million smartphones are iPhones, according to data from Counterpoint Research. Despite this relatively small market share, the CCI's initial findings suggested that Apple had exploited its position to the detriment of app developers, users, and other payment processors.

The recall is expected to delay the investigation by several months as the CCI undertakes the process of redacting the sensitive information and potentially reissuing revised reports.

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in a Few Months With These 12 New Features

Thursday June 26, 2025 2:00 am PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are around three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Here's Which Vehicle Brands Will and Won't Offer Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Friday June 27, 2025 9:52 am PDT by
Apple last month announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. There was news this week about which automakers will and won't offer CarPlay Ultra, and we have provided an updated list below. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to newer Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, if you cannot...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Tuesday June 24, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...

Top Rated Comments

Valen1 Avatar
12 months ago
Few countries are as corrupt and morally bankrupt as India. I managed a staff of 4,000 Indians on & off-shore for eleven years.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Newgoblin49 Avatar
12 months ago
Fellow indian here , can you explain the morally bankrupt part ?

Few countries are as corrupt and morally bankrupt as India. I managed a staff of 4,000 Indians on & off-shore for eleven years.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aidler Avatar
12 months ago
Apple can't stop these investigations and proceedings forever. Things like this only make regulators angrier and more determined.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
senttoschool Avatar
12 months ago
Antitrust - lol. Apple is 5% of the phone market in India.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
12 months ago

Fellow indian here , can you explain the morally bankrupt part ?
Don't bite.
There are PLENTY of similar example from countries all over the world. 'Westerners', (think politicians at the very least) have done just as much probably for just as long.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechnoMonk Avatar
12 months ago

Constant lies with no remorse when confronted with the truth.
Most of the corporate US. And the lies when the corporates lay off people with no remorse.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)