Apr 28, 2021 19:00:00

Apple fines over JPY 1.3 billion for removing Kaspersky Lab apps from the App Store

In March 2019, Russian computer security company

Kaspersky said, 'Apple is abusing its position as the platform owner of the App Store,' the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), the Russian Fair Trade Commission. Sued Apple. And on April 26, 2021, FAS ordered Apple to pay a fine of 906 million rubles for antitrust violations.

ФАС России | ФАС оштрафовала Apple на 12 миллионов долларов США
https://fas.gov.ru/news/31268

Russia Fines Apple $ 12M for Blocking Third Party Apps --The Moscow Times
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/04/27/apple-a73757

Russia fines Apple $ 12 mln for alleged app market abuse | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/russian-competition-watchdog-fines-apple-12-mln-abusing-dominant-position-2021-04-27/

Apple fined $ 12M in Russia over alleged app market abuse | AppleInsider
https://appleinsider.com/articles/21/04/27/apple-fined-12m-in-russia-over-alleged-app-market-abuse

The cause of the problem was the uproar over Kaspersky Safe Kids, a parental control app sold by Kaspersky on the App Store. In 2018, Apple asked Kaspersky to remove some features, saying that 'Kaspersky Safe Kids uses profile settings in iOS and violates the terms of the App Store', but Kaspersky does. Rejected as essential to the app. After that, Apple stopped selling Kaspersky Safe Kids on the App Store.

Not only Kaspersky Safe Kids was cracked down by Apple at the same time, but several other parental control apps were suspended in late 2018. Regarding this move, Kaspersky said that Apple's implementation of ' screen time ' in 2018 is affecting the crackdown on parental control apps. Screen time is a function that displays the time spent on apps and websites, and since there are many functions that overlap with parental control apps, it is not a coincidence that the implementation of screen time and the exclusion of apps occurred at the same time. Claims.

And Kaspersky sued FAS in March 2019 for Apple's abuse of its dominant position in the market to create a deliberate monopoly.

Kaspersky sues Apple for antitrust violations, saying 'Apple is removing other companies' apps from the App Store for its own apps' --GIGAZINE

by Koisny

Kaspersky Lab's accused FAS limits Apple's right to reject third-party apps in August 2020, determining that it was using its dominant position in the iOS app market to engage in anti-competitive behavior I issued a business improvement order.

Russian Federation Anti-Monopoly Agency Orders Apple to Improve Anti-Competitive Behavior on App Store |
https://www.zaikei.co.jp/article/20200830/582993.html

In addition, FAS ordered Apple to pay a fine of 906 million rubles on April 26, 2021 as a follow-up to the business improvement order. In a statement, FAS said, 'Apple has abused its dominant position in iOS mobile app distribution with a series of actions that lead to a competitive advantage in its products, while at the same time deteriorating the distribution conditions of competing products. It turned out. '

'We worked with Kaspersky to get an app that complies with the rules enacted to protect children,' Apple said in a statement on the FAS fine order. As the word says, a new Kaspersky Safe Kids app has been released on the App Store at the time of writing.

While the fine isn't damaging to Apple, it's one of Russia's attempts to curb the activities of giant tech companies. In addition, Apple has stated that it will continue to appeal the FAS decision, and the fine order has been suspended by the appeal.