Apple has officially informed the Australian authorities that it has "serious concerns" about the proposed antitrust conclusions of the app store, while Google said they could cause "accidental harm" After reviewing the app store policy to consider legislation to open these stores, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission issued a discussion paper on the subject. The ACCC document was released in February. Although apple and Google's response was submitted in early April, it is only now publicly disclosed.
Apple said it was "seriously concerned about the implementation of [proposed ] regulatory reform," including how it believed ACCC was trying to reform non-existent problems.
Apple's complete document said: "in terms of behavior attributable to apple, [some ] reforms are designed to solve hypothetical (rather than existing) problems. The proposed 'reforms' related to Apple will lead to real-world market results. If they are implemented in the proposed form, they will reduce the motivation of dynamic companies like apple to innovate and develop new and differentiated products..."
The document further said that these reforms "will force apple to redesign iPhone ", its way" will only benefit A few powerful developers whose main goal is to remove the consumer protection of [app store ]. Apple is confused that competition and consumer protection agencies will give priority to so-called competition issues, which lack convincing evidence of damage, rather than the clear and serious damage to users they experience every day. "
The document submitted by Google said it supported ACCC's vision of protecting consumers and encouraging innovation. However, it agreed with apple on how the proposal covered "acts that are only speculated to be theoretically possible".
"Any new regulatory framework should only seek to address and prevent clear harm caused by lack of competition. Any new regulatory framework should only seek to address and prevent clear harm caused by lack of competition, and any new framework should focus on only those types of behavior that can prove to be clearly harmful and that cannot be solved by existing laws."
Epic Games also submitted a document on ACCC's proposal, which supports the regulator's plan. Forcing apple and Google to allow alternative app stores will bring "a more open ecosystem that provides better choices and value for consumers and developers," epic said.
Microsoft also supports ACCC in its own discussion documents. Microsoft said that according to its experience, apple and Google's policies "either completely prevent us from providing competitive cloud game streaming applications to mobile users, or restrict services, such as using alternative in app purchase payment processing systems".
However, digi, a non-profit digital industry group in Australia, believes these suggestions are unnecessary. Digi lobbied on behalf of apple, Google and other companies, and said in its complete submission that these suggestions "will lack depth, breadth and clarity and cannot be properly comprehensive".
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is expected to make recommendations to the government by the end of September 2022.