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).

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has withdrawn two key reports that alleged Apple breached local competition laws.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.