A French court has set a date to hear a case brought against Apple by the country’s finance ministry over allegedly abusive contract terms on the App Store.
The case will be heard by a Paris commercial court on Sept. 17, 2021, Reuters reported Wednesday. Although it’s unlikely to result in significant fines, the court could force Apple to change some of its contractual terms in the country.
In France, local law allows the country’s finance minister to sue companies if abusive business practices are found in contracts. The complaint was levied against Apple following a three-year probe by France’s CGCCRF consumer fraud watchdog.
France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, last year accused Apple of being part of a small group of tech giants that are”reaping most of the profits” in the country.
The case in France echoes a similar complaint levied against Apple by Epic Games over App Store policies like a 30% commission on app and in-app purchases and a prohibition on third-party app stores.
This isn’t the only scrutiny that Apple is facing in France. The Cupertino tech giant has also been hit with an antitrust complaint over personalized advertising on iOS.
Apple is in the midst of a series of antitrust battles across the globe. In the U.S., for example, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is currently reviewing several bills that could force tech giants like Apple to change their business practices.
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