European Commission Seeks Clarifications from Apple Amid Antitrust Accusations

The European Commission confirmed yesterday that it has requested clarifications from Apple following accusations by the American video game company Epic Games of anti-competitive behavior. Epic Games accused Apple of obstructing competition by preventing them from developing alternative app offerings on iPhones, according to Agence France-Presse.

A spokesperson for the Commission stated, “We have requested further clarifications from Apple on this issue under the Digital Markets Act,” referring to the new rules on digital platforms that came into effect on Thursday in the European Union.

As part of these rules related to digital markets – known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) – six tech giants, including Apple, are required to open up their platforms to competition. The law aims to protect the emergence and growth of startups and improve the choices available to users.

However, Epic Games, the official publisher of the game Fortnite, announced on Wednesday that Apple had prevented them from offering an alternative app store for iPhones. Epic stated that its initial attempt to offer its own stores on iPhones was met with rejection, describing it as a retaliatory measure due to its extensive public criticisms of Apple.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney accused Apple’s executives of attempting a “blatant move to force their major competitor to capitulate.”