Apple Faces Tough Questions from EU Regulators
Apple has a number of «very serious» questions to answer within the framework of the broad European Union rules aimed at controlling major tech companies, Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager said in a conversation with CNBC on Tuesday amid reports that regulators are preparing charges against the iPhone maker.
In March, the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, launched investigations into Apple, Alphabet, and Meta under new EU legislation on tech markets that took effect this year.
The investigation includes several questions regarding Apple, including whether the tech giant blocks businesses from informing their users about cheaper product options or subscriptions outside of the App Store.
«We have some questions about Apple; I think they are very serious. I was very surprised that we might have suspicions of Apple not living up to the expectations,» Vestager said in an interview with CNBC.
Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
«They are very important because a lot of good business processes are happening through the App Store, through the payment mechanisms, so of course, although I can say this is not what we expected from such a company, we will enforce with the same high priority precision as any other business,» she added.
