Spain: Local competition authority is keeping an eye on Apple over the App Store

In addition to the EU, which wants to open the App Store and possibly fine Apple, the iPhone group will also have to deal with individual competition authorities in member countries. This includes, for example, the Netherlands or France and Poland. It is not always about the same topic, but the central point is that Apple is said to have abused its market power. Now another EU country is getting involved: Spain. As announced last week in Madrid by the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (National Market and Competition Commission, or CNMC for short), Apple is suspected of anti-competitive behavior within the framework of the terms of its App Store.

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Similar allegations at the European Union level

CNMC fearsthat Apple had applied an “unequal economic playing field” for mobile app developers on its software store. This could be a “very serious violation” of Spanish competition law, the CNMC continued. Apple reacted immediately: according to the company, Spanish developers of all sizes have the same conditions in the App Store, which is a “level playing field”. in a statement to Reuters.They plan to continue working with the CNMC to clarify this.

One reason they don’t see it as clearly stated there is that Apple itself offers and promotes the apps, but of course it doesn’t have to pay any commissions to itself. These are supposed to be 30 percent – or 15 percent if annual sales are less than one million US dollars (“Small Business Program”).

iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 beta with Apple Intelligence features

High fines can be imagined

If the CNMC decides against Apple, severe penalties will be imposed. Similar to the EU level, the CNMC can measure the amount of money it collects based on sales globally. The Spaniards could collect up to 10 percent of it.

Apple’s lawyers and lobbyists also have a lot to do at EU level: there the Commission is taking action against the company for possible violations of the Digital Markets Act and would like to impose a fine of 1.8 billion euros on Spotify alone due to the alleged restrictions.

(B.Sc.)