news/AAPL/2023.01.18/Brazil antitrust agency to investigate MercadoLibre complaint against Apple.txt

BRASILIA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Brazil's antitrust watchdog
CADE has begun investigating a complaint by e-commerce retailer
MercadoLibre Inc against Apple Inc for alleged
abuse of a monopoly in the distribution of apps for its devices,
the regulator said on Wednesday.The decision to open the investigation into alleged
anti-competitive practices by Apple was taken last week based on
the complaint filed in December by MercadoLibre, CADE said in a
statement."Similar investigations are being conducted by antitrust
authorities in other jurisdictions," the watchdog said.MercadoLibre argued that Apple had imposed a series of
restrictions on the distribution of digital goods and in-app
purchases.The South American company criticized the California tech
giant for requiring developers who offer digital goods or
services within apps to use Apple's own payment system and
stopping them from redirecting buyers to their websites.MercadoLibre filed its complaint in Brazil and also Mexico.Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Apple's policies have been challenged in nearly every corner
of the world over the past few years.In a U.S. court trial over similar allegations, a judge
found that Apple had not violated antitrust law in part because
its rules led to security benefits for users that outweighed any
harm to appmakers. But the ruling is being appealed and a global
resolution on the issue appears distant.CADE said antitrust cases against Apple are underway around
the world, including in the European Union, Britain, South
Korea, Japan, India and Indonesia.Nasdaq-listed MercadoLibre is one of Latin America's largest
companies, with a market capitalization of $53.82 billion,
according to Refinitiv data.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)