Apple Hit With Expanded Antitrust Probe in Spain Over App Store Price Fixing

Spain's national competition authority, the CNMC, has expanded its antitrust investigation into Apple, adding a new line of inquiry into whether the company has established a mandatory pricing schedule for developers on the App Store. The move adds to an ongoing probe that began last year over allegations that the company was abusing its dominant market position.

In an announcement Tuesday, the regulator said it is now investigating if Apple has established a "pricing schedule that developers are required to follow in order to distribute their apps in its stores." This could constitute a restrictive practice of competition among businesses, potentially violating Article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

The expansion builds on an investigation the CNMC initiated in July 2024. That original probe focused on whether Apple was abusing its dominant market position by imposing unfair commercial terms on developers using the App Store, which would be contrary to different articles of Spanish and EU competition law. The regulator noted that such infringements could entail fines of up to 10% of a company's total turnover.


This action in Spain is just one front in Apple's broader regulatory battle across Europe. In April, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million for violating the Digital Markets Act's anti-steering rules. In response, Apple revised its business terms for EU developers just last month, overhauling its fee structure for external purchase links. The company is also appealing a separate EU order from March that requires it to open up nine specific iOS connectivity features to third parties.

The CNMC stated that the expansion of its proceedings does not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. The maximum period for the investigation and its resolution remains 24 months from the case's initial start date in July 2024.

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