News Summary

• Rather than following a specific complaint, as is typically the cause of an investigation, this one was "initiated ex officio, given the relevance of the economic activity carried out in app shops in Spain."
• The investigation concerns possible anti-competitive behavior over allegedly "imposing unfair commercial conditions" on developers.
• Apple Passeig de Gracia store in SpainSpain has become the latest country to accuse Apple of possible anticompetitive actions concerning alleged unfair treatment of developers on the App Store.
• Based on other anti-trust probes from other countries, however, it's likely that at least part of the investigation will concern Apple's previous anti-steering constraints.
• The investigation is to be conducted by Spain's Comision Nacional De Los Mercados Y La Competencia (CNMC), which has previously fined Apple and Google a combined $218 million for antitrust behavior.
• Spain's investigation is required to conclude, and be resolved with a ruling, within two years.