Turkey's Antitrust Regulator, the Competition Council, has launched an investigation into US company Apple Inc. on suspicion of breaching the Competition Act in relation to the ban on third-party payment instruments on the App Store.
„It is suspected that Apple has imposed certain restrictions on payment systems for app developers in the App Store. App developers are prohibited from informing their in-app users about other payment channels, such as the developer's website. "Due to this ban, it is necessary to investigate whether users' ability to access better, more cost-effective payment options is limited because they are unaware of the existence of alternatives and the difference between in-app and out-of-app prices," said advice
The regulator also notes that Apple restricts developers in what payment system they can use. "In-app purchases require Apple's own payment system. Therefore, transactions related to the sale of digital content within applications must be completed through Apple's IAP payment system. Apple receives 30% of commission income from these transactions”, the board noted.
The regulator intends to find out whether Apple, through such a policy, eliminates the “freedom of choice for app developers by requiring them to use their own payment system and whether this prevents other payment systems from infiltrating Apple's ecosystem .”
There is no information about possible sanctions against the US company that may be imposed if violations of competition law are confirmed.