Following the designation of Apple (United States) as gatekeeper of its App Store online app store under the European Digital Markets Act or DMA (see other news), the European Commission announced on Monday 24 June that it had closed the antitrust investigation into Apple’s behaviour in relation to its in-app payment system and its steering (see EUROPE 13332/18). The Commission wishes to avoid multiple investigations into the same behaviour.
Previously, in the context of its formal investigation opened on 16 June 2020, the European Commission had indeed informed Apple on 2 May 2022 that, in its preliminary view, Apple had significant market power in the smart mobile device market and held a dominant position in the mobile wallet markets, and was therefore restricting competition in the markets in question.
The Commission points out that under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple, as a gatekeeper, is clearly prohibited from forcing developers of digital applications to use its payments application and must refrain from imposing monetary and non-monetary restrictions on steering. (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)