An antitrust body in Brazil has recommended “the conviction of Apple for anticompetitive conduct in the digital ecosystem of the iOS operating system” (via Google Translate).
As reported by MacRumors, the General Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (SG/CADE) – an independent agency that reports to the Brazilian Ministry of Justice – has been investigating complaints that Apple only allows payments on iOS through its own systems, and restricts companies from telling customers about alternatives.
The complaint was filed in 2022 by Ebazar.com.br Ltda. and Mercado Livre.
In a decision issued on June 30, SG/CADE said that the restrictions “create artificial barriers to the entry of competitors in markets related to the iOS system, which is fully controlled by Apple.”
“In doing so, the company makes it difficult for new agents to operate, artificially preserves its dominant position and reduces the options available to developers and users of the platform.”
Apple could now potentially face fines and mandatory changes to its iOS policies in Brazil.
In various countries across the world, Apple is facing pressure to change its systems. In the EU, Apple made changes to its App Store in response to the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act.
Meanwhile, Apple is still embroiled in a long-running court battle with Epic Games in the US, which has accused the firm of anticompetitive practices.