Apple “Web app is also available, not exclusive to the App Store”

The Apple App Store is facing a situation in which countries are investigating whether it is a violation of the antitrust law to not admit the existence of a 30% fee and other app stores. One of these, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s ACCC survey, revealed that Apple refuted that the App Store does not monopolize the market because developers have several methods of distributing applications such as the web.

Reportedly, Apple is concerned that ACCC has taken advantage of its market dominance by its officials as an application distributor, emphasizing that it allows developers to use multiple means of delivering applications to users by filing paperwork.

What Apple specifically refers to as a means of delivery other than the App Store is the entire web. It claims that the web itself is a platform. In support of this, it is pointed out that iOS devices have unlimited access to the web and users can download web applications.

In fact, web browsers not only deliver video content, but can be used without downloading from PWA, that is, a web app that works like a basic application in a browser window, or from an app store. PWAs are being used not only on PCs, but also on mobile browsers and devices including iOS.

Apple claims that alternative distribution methods, such as web apps and developer websites, are a competitive threat to the app store. It also mentions third-party platforms such as the Google Play Store and says that they are actively fighting to attract developers to create applications on their own platforms.

However, it is true that Apple only allows app stores that deliver native apps, not web apps, does not allow third-party app stores, and makes applications that are not distributed in official stores like Android impossible without jailbreak. Google itself, cited by Apple this time, pointed out the closeness of such an app store.

Apple’s allegations do not work against Epic Games, which is suing massive antitrust lawsuits, and Spotify, which sued Apple for EU regulations. It should also be noted that Epic Games’ Fortnite did not mention the prohibition of its own payment system without going through the app store that caused it to be deleted from the app store.

The ACCC is expected to release an interim report on March 31st. Considering Apple’s claims, attention is being drawn to the future development of whether it will be judged that it is not a market monopoly, or whether a strict early stage such as a fine will be imposed. Related information can be found here.