Apple Faces Criticism From Other Tech Companies, Russian Watchdog Over App Store

Facebook and Microsoft have issues with the way their gaming apps appear in Apple‘s store, which could go hand-in-hand with a EU investigation into Apple’s business practices and antitrust concerns, Reuters reported.

Facebook’s issue is that its gaming app is only available as a streaming service through Apple’s site, not actually allowing users to play the games. According to COO Sheryl Sandberg, the company had to remove gameplay functionality in order to gain approval from Apple.

And Microsoft’s Project xCloud has run into issues, too, with PYMNTS reporting that Apple wouldn’t even carry the app at all.

Microsoft said Apple’s service was the “only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass,” adding that Apple’s service seemed to consistently levy harsher rules against gaming apps as opposed to anything else.

There are four current probes in the European Union against Apple, with three of them concerning the App Store and restrictive practices, the news service reported. Apple has dismissed the criticisms, saying it affords equal opportunities and rules to any company.

Meanwhile, Russian competition watchdog FAS said it also has concerns regarding Apple, saying the tech giant had abused its position as one of the dominant mobile apps market companies.

The FAS probe came after cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab reported that Apple had declined the latest version of its Safe Kids application, which allows parents to set controls for children’s social media and mobile phone usage.

Then, Apple reportedly released a new version of its own parental control app, which had features Kaspersky Lab said were similar to its own app, according to Reuters.

Apple said it had shot down Kaspersky’s app due to privacy and security concerns.

Apple has come under fire before for antitrust concerns, including that its pricing practices were anti-competitive. But the company supported a study of its own practices that found that its commission prices were comparable to other major platforms’ app stores.