Google and Apple Accused of Abusing App Market Dominance
Korea's media watchdog has concluded that Google and Apple have violated related laws regarding in-app purchases. The Korea Media Communications Commission (KMCC) made this determination after a regular meeting held on Wednesday.
The KMCC accuses both tech giants of abusing their dominance in their respective app marketplaces by bypassing the revision to the telecommunications business act passed in 2021. This revision aimed to prevent large app market operators from forcing developers to use only their in-app payment systems.
Although Google and Apple initially allowed customers to purchase apps through a third-party payment gateway, they imposed a transaction fee of around 26 percent on non-in-app purchases. This move drew criticism for effectively nullifying the law.
The KMCC has yet to decide on the level of sanctions for the two companies but warned that it would impose the highest fine possible in October 2023.