Anti-competitive complaint against Google and Apple in Mexico

• Apple and Google are under investigation in Mexico for anti-competitive actions, according to a complaint submitted by the country’s former telecoms head.
• Mony de Swaan Addati claimed that Google’s Play shop and Apple’s store charge 15%–20% commission, driving up prices.

Apple (AAPL.O) and Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google are under investigation in Mexico for anti-competitive actions, according to a complaint submitted by the country’s former telecoms head on Friday.

Mony de Swaan Addati, the former head of the previous telecommunications federation that was later replaced by IFT, filed the complaint with Mexico’s telecommunications regulator IFT yesterday.

In his case, he charges Apple and Google with “totally inhibit(ing) competition” and accuses them of  “taking advantage of their monopoly in app stores to tie use of their own payment processing systems for in-app purchases.”

De Swaan Addati claimed in an online statement that Google’s Play shop and Apple’s store charge 15%–20% commission, driving up prices.

Google did not respond. Apple and the IFT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Apple and Google have both loosened rules and reduced fees as a result of a recent wave of lawsuits and complaints challenging the pair’s app store policies in numerous countries, but some app developers and other opponents say additional changes are still required.

De Swaan Addati stated that he took his case to the IFT after the Mexican competition watchdog turned down his request to launch an investigation into the corporations.

“I have full confidence that (the IFT) will investigate and exercise its powers—in line with international best practices—so that these companies stop abusing their market power to the detriment of developers and consumers,” he said.

Over 30 million smartphones were anticipated to be sold in Mexico last year, according to research firm Statista.

According to the most recent Statcounter data, Google’s Android has a 77% penetration rate in Mexico, giving it the biggest market share.

Also Read

Google may be developing a ‘Pro’ version of Pixel Tablet

Google has already confirmed that it is working on a Pixel Tablet,...