US Antitrust Regulators Begin Investigations Into App Store's 30% Fees Cut

Per Bloomberg , US antitrust regulators have begun the investigations into Apple's App Store 30% fees that it charges to developers for ...

Per Bloomberg, US antitrust regulators have begun the investigations into Apple's App Store 30% fees that it charges to developers for in-app subscriptions, this comes after EU also announced similar probe over Apple takes 30 percent cut on ebooks in the ‌App Store.

Lawyers from the US government have met with many app developers last week, which complains that they are locked into Apple’s payment system. At least one developer was asked whether Apple’s 30% price cut could resolve concerns, but the developer in question told the U.S. Department of Justice that the problem was not commissions, but the reality that Apple does not endorse other payment systems.

U.S. House of Representatives Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David Cicillineian, who is studying Apple’s “App Store” policy, called Apple’s App Store fees "highway robbery” earlier this month and said Apple’s rules are unfair to developers and hurt consumers.

The investigation into Apple’s App Store behavior is still in its infancy, and the US Department of Justice has concentrated most of its resources on another investigation into Google’s dominance in digital advertising. Though, the lawsuit against Apple was described as "serious", but the investigation is still ongoing and no decision has been made.

At the end of the investigation, the Antitrust Committee will generate a report in which it proposes legislative actions.