Brazil’s antitrust regulator, Cade, has ordered Apple to remove restrictions on payment methods for in-app purchases and allow developers to offer alternative payment options. This decision is part of an ongoing investigation into a complaint from MercadoLibre, a major Latin American e-commerce company.
Apple must allow app developers to include tools for customers to make purchases outside the app, such as through hyperlinks to external websites.
The company is also asked to permit developers to offer in-app payment processing options other than Apple’s own system.
Apple has 20 days to comply with these measures, facing a daily fine of 250,000 reais (approximately $43,000) for non-compliance.
The investigation is connected to MercadoLibre’s 2022 complaint that accused Apple of imposing restrictions on digital goods distribution and in-app purchases. MercadoLibre criticized Apple for mandating the use of its payment system and preventing developers from redirecting users to external websites.
Apple has declined to comment on the ruling, while MercadoLibre has not yet responded to requests for comment.
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