Apple fights $1.8 billion App Store class action lawsuit in the UK
A London tribunal heard on Monday that Apple is accused of abusing its market dominance by imposing an unfair commission of up to 30% on app developers through its App Store, allegedly costing British consumers up to £1.5 billion (approximately $1.8 billion).
The U.S. tech company is facing a mass lawsuit brought on behalf of around 20 million iPhone and iPad users in the United Kingdom, who were allegedly overcharged for app purchases.
Apple, however, says the case is meritless and overlooks the benefits to consumers of the integrated approach of its iOS operating system, which prioritises security and privacy.
“Apple is not just dominant… it holds a 100% monopoly position,” Kent’s lawyer Mark Hoskins said in court filings.
But Apple – which has faced mounting pressure from regulators in the U.S. and Europe over the fees it charges third-party developers – says 85% of developers do not pay any commission at all.
MacDailyNews Take: The smartphone operating system market share in the UK currently:
• Google Android: 51.88%
• Apple iOS: 47.65%
Not a monopoly.
As for Apple’s App Store commissions:
How much did it cost developers to have their apps burned onto CDs, boxed, shipped, displayed on store shelves prior to Apple remaking the world for the better for umpteenth time? Apple incurs costs to store, review, organize, surface, and distribute apps to over one billion users. — MacDailyNews, June 10, 2022
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