The Coalition for App Fairness (CAF) launched a press release on Thursday cheering on the Division of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit towards Apple. The group consists of quite a few key app makers, together with Epic Video games, Spotify, Deezer, Match Group, Proton and others.
“With today’s announcement, the Department of Justice is taking a strong stand against Apple’s stranglehold over the mobile app ecosystem, which stifles competition and hurts American consumers and developers alike,” stated Rick VanMeter, government director of the CAF. “The DOJ complaint details Apple’s long history of illegal conduct – abusing their App Store guidelines and developer agreements to increase prices, extract exorbitant fees, degrade user experiences, and choke off competition. The DOJ joins regulators around the world, who have recognized the many harms of Apple’s abusive behavior and are working to address it.”
A few of the CAF’s members, like Epic and Spotify, have been embroiled in high-profile authorized proceedings over Apple’s anticompetitive practices.
For years, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has been vocal about his displeasure with Apple’s 30% lower of in-app funds, which he thinks is monopolistic and predatory. In 2020, Epic made it attainable for Fortnite gamers to pay Epic directly, reasonably than giving a lower to Apple. Then, Apple eliminated Epic from the App Retailer, which sparked a slew of authorized proceedings. Although Epic has seen some victories — now, builders are allowed to route customers to different cost strategies — Apple has not been confirmed to be a monopoly in any of those lawsuits.
Because the Digital Markets Act (DMA) took impact within the European Union, Spotify has turn out to be extra antagonistic towards Apple. The DMA was presupposed to facilitate competitors within the EU, however Spotify referred to as Apple’s plans for DMA compliance — which add extra developer charges — “a complete and total farce.”
In a thread on X, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said: “I was skeptical of Apple’s intentions to comply after years of watching them get away with such extreme abuse with all the ways they skirt regulations around the world. Who wouldn’t be? But the law is the law, right? Not if you are Apple…”
However Apple sees the CAF because the unhealthy man. In a briefing with journalists concerning the DOJ’s antitrust lawsuit, Apple displayed a slide that positioned the CAF as a part of an internet of firms making an attempt to take Apple down for their very own acquire.
In a press release, Apple stated: “This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets. If successful, it would hinder our ability to create the kind of technology people expect from Apple—where hardware, software, and services intersect. It would also set a dangerous precedent, empowering government to take a heavy hand in designing people’s technology. We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it.”
