India set to investigate Apple over antitrust accusation
William GallagherApple CEO Tim Cook on a visit to India in 2016
A non-profit organization in India's Rajasthan region has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple and the App Store, which is expected to lead to a full investigation.
Apple has been accused in India of abusing its market position to force developers to use its in-app payment system. It's a similar accusation to the current investigation by the European Union. It also follows South Korea voting to force Apple and Google to allow alternatives, if they want to continue operating in that country.
According to Reuters, the complaint has been filed to the Competition Commission of India (CCI). It comes from the non-profit organization called "Together We Fight Society."
The group issued a statement to Reuters saying that the complaint was filed in the interest of protecting Indian consumers and startups.
"Together We Fight Society" does not appear to have an online presence, nor filed any previous complaints in any issue. Other than it being based in Rajasthan, there are no details of its organization or members, and under Indian law the group's complaint is confidential.
Nonetheless, Reuters reports that a source familiar with the matter says the complaint is expected to lead to a full investigation by the CCI.
"There are high chances that an investigation can be ordered, also because the EU has been probing this," said the unidentified source.
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