CCI rejects Apple’s request to delay antitrust investigation report, case to proceed

India's antitrust body, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has rejected a request from Apple Inc. to put a hold on the investigation report that revealed the corporation breached competition laws, allowing the ongoing investigation to continue, as reported by Reuters.

The CCI had recalled investigation reports in August this year after Apple alleged that the former had disclosed commercial secrets to competitors, including Tinder-owned Match, in a case dating back to 2021. Apple argued that these sensitive details should have been redacted. 

The CCI responded by ordering all concerned parties to return the reports and destroy any remaining copies before issuing new orders. 

Following this, the company, in November, alleged that the Indian non-profit Together We Fight Society (TWFS), the main complainant in the antitrust investigation, had not complied with the CCI’s order to destroy the old investigation reports. The company requested the CCI to take action against TWFS for non-compliance and to withhold the revised report. "Apple's request to hold the investigation report in abeyance was deemed untenable," the CCI said in the order.

The current investigation is based on evidence that the tech company used its dominant position in its iOS-run app store to the detriment of app developers, users, and payment processors. It has denied all allegations, stating that it is a small player in the Indian market, where phones using Google's Android OS are dominant.

The CCI's internal order also showed that the commpany has been asked to submit its audited financial statements for fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24, in accordance with regulatory guidelines to determine potential financial penalties. 

"Apple has been asked to submit its audited financial state for fiscal years 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24," the CCI order stated, with senior officials to review the investigation report before making a final decision on the case.