The Apple App Store looks into an antitrust investigation of the US Congress

REUTERS: The US House Judiciary Committee, on Friday, Sept. 13, requested information from Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook, as part of a competition investigation into digital markets.

In a letter, lawmakers have requested information relating to the Apple App Store, which is the only way by which device users such as the iPhone can install third-party software on their phones. Apple reduces developer sales by leveraging its payment systems on its App Store.

But Apple is also a major player in its own market, with internal applications such as Apple Music competing directly with competitors such as Spotify Technology SA. Other applications that do not compete with Apple, such as Uber Technologies Inc., are allowed to accept payments through the app without paying any discount to Apple.

Spotify and other developers claimed that Apple had anti-competitive behavior with its App Store, while Apple executives maintained their goal of providing a better user experience to users of the company's devices .

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter from US lawmakers. The committee asked the leaders to communicate with them on the following topics.

APPLICATION STORE

• The decision to remove the parental control apps Qustodio, Freedom, Kidslox, Mobicip and OurPact.
• How the search algorithm for the App Store ranks the results and discussions of leaders to determine if it is appropriate to modify this algorithm. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal both conducted analyzes that Apple-specific applications dominated the results for current search terms, and Apple changed its formula the same month the newspaper published its survey.
• Apple's policies regarding applications or categories of applications to use its payment systems on the App Store and those exempted from it.
• Indicates whether applications can include links to payment systems other than Apple's. Spotify complained to European regulators that Apple had banned him from offering links to promotions vital to his business.
• How Apple has achieved its policies on reducing revenue generated by application developers, including discussions between executives on the precise share made Apple charges 15 to 30% to sellers of "digital goods" such as movies and Video game credits, but does not charge fees to sellers of physical goods and services, which has led companies like Amazon not to sell e-books on Apple devices.
• How Apple decided to allow users to set non-Apple apps as default apps for apps such as web browsers, cards, email clients, and music players.
• Allow or not non-Apple app stores on their devices. Both consumers and developers have sued Apple for its refusal to allow apps on the iPhone outside of the App Store, claiming that the practice was increasing software prices for consumers and reduced the profits of developers.
• How Apple decided to create its own applications with functions similar to third-party applications Clue, Duet Display and SwiftKey. Developers of some of these apps recently told The Washington Post that Apple's sheer power made competition more difficult for their apps as Apple copied their ideas.
• Should third-party Web browsers from the App Store use a technology called Apple-based WebKit? Apple has used the WebKit requirement to limit the tracking of advertising that its rivals Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc. can perform on its devices.

REPAIRS, REPLACEMENTS AND RESALE

• Detailed information about Apple's restrictions on third-party repairs to its devices, including those that its authorized service providers must follow.
• Apple's decision in December 2017 to offer discounted battery replacements, particularly with regard to their impact on iPhone sales. Consumers have filed dozens of lawsuits in which Apple has accused Apple of reducing the battery performance of older devices to force users to buy a new phone.
• Apple's decision to launch an "independent repair program" including the parts offered by the company and at what prices. After years or having resisted the "right to repair" laws requiring Apple to supply parts to independent stores, Apple has changed course and set up a program, but some parts, such as circuit boards, are not available.
• The decision to sell Apple products on Amazon.com Inc., including the decision to limit the number of resellers that can sell Apple products on Amazon. Smaller resellers of Apple products told The Verge that this decision hurt them.