Apple has launched a sharp attack on the Competition Commission of India (CCI), alleging it built its entire antitrust case against the company by copying and pasting allegations made by the tech giant’s rivals instead of conducting an independent analysis, according to a Reuters report.
What is Apple alleging? Apple told the CCI that it was a “miniscule player” in India with a 6% share in the country’s smartphone market.
- CCI investigators simply reproduced the submissions made by Apple’s rivals, including Tinder parent Match Group, PhonePe and Paytm. Apple’s submission reportedly includes side-by-side tables comparing the CCI’s report to filings from Apple’s opponents.
- “The DG (Director General) made no effort whatsoever to independently verify or critically assess these statements, often parroting them verbatim,” Apple was quoted as saying in the report.
- CCI’s investigation team “blindly replicated” a consumer spending graphic on mobile apps and games from an EU ruling against the company in 2024.
- Throughout the three-year investigation, Apple was not given “a single opportunity to record its statements and provide oral evidence.”
- Apple argues that CCI had taken a different approach in a similar antitrust investigation against Google. In that case, Google got multiple chances to present its case before the regulator and explain its business model.
“Forced alterations to Apple’s carefully designed App Store could disrupt its integrated business model,” Apple reportedly said, adding that “the imposition of remedies would create regulatory uncertainty and could deter investments in India’s digital economy.”
It is to be noted that Google had leveled similar allegations against CCI in the Android antitrust case, accusing it of copying parts of a European ruling. However, CCI had denied those allegations.
The twist in the case: Apple filed its “copy-paste” accusation on the very day it was supposed to hand over financial details of its India business to the CCI. Last month, it had asked the regulator for a “final extension” to prepare India turnover data, pushing the deadline to June 25.
The iPhone maker is potentially staring at a $38 billion penalty if the CCI uses its global turnover to calculate fines in the case.
Separately, it has challenged India’s amended competition law that empowers CCI to penalise companies on the basis of their global, not just Indian, turnover. The matter is currently pending before the courts.
Why this matters: The fight between Apple and CCI is escalating at a time when the iPhone maker is grappling with supply chain constraints, including a data breach of Tata Electronics, its key supplier in India.
A separate Reuters report highlighted that an alleged ransomware attack on Tata Electronics has left Apple’s sensitive data exposed on the dark web, including detailed lists of components and suppliers,…
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