Kaspersky Lab files a complaint against Apple

The Russian Kaspersky Lab today filed an antitrust complaint against Apple. The security firm will submit it to the Russian authorities. Central to the complaint is the fact that Apple has a tight grip on its App Store and forces developers of apps to make choices that they do not want to make.

The crux of the problem, according to Kaspersky, is that Apple has used its power over the App Store and the entire iOS ecosystem to force Kaspersky to remove two functions from the Kaspersky Safe Kids iOS app. These included the feature that made it possible to manage which apps children are allowed to use and a feature that blocked browser Safari.

Customize functions

Kaspersky states that Apple made this choice to prevent the app from competing with the screen time developed by Apple itself. Since iOS 12, this can be found in the operating system. In a blog post about the antitrust case, Kaspersky states that the makers of other apps such as AdGuard and Kidslox had to deal with the same problems.

The Russian company also claims that Apple has meanwhile started to customize any app that might compete with built-in iOS features. By regulating in this area, Apple is extending its market power to other, related markets. Think of the software market for parental control, in which it is just a player, Kaspersky writes.

Violation of antitrust law

It finds this extension of Apple to another market and especially the way not good and argues that it is contrary to antitrust law. Kaspersky sees mainly in the way that Apple allows other apps to customize the essential elements of an antitrust violation, which consist of erecting barriers and discriminating against our software, adds the antivirus maker.

The complaint was lodged only with the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia and not with the European Union. However, Kaspersky acknowledges the similar complaint lodged by the Spotify music streaming service in the European Union.