After several senators criticized the company, Apple on Sunday said it would send the head of compliance to it after a hearing on April 21 before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office (D-MN) confirmed.
Leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday sent a letter to Tim Cook, CEO, of Tim Apple demanding that the company send a representative to the hearing, saying Apple refused to participate. In the letter, Klobuchar and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) say that Apple ‘suddenly’ decided not to testify before the trial on digital markets aimed at Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store.
“Apple’s sudden change of course in refusing to give a witness to testify before the Subcommittee on app store competition issues in April is unacceptable,” the senators wrote in the letter. “We strongly urge Apple to reconsider its position and to provide a witness to testify before the subcommittee in a timely manner.”
But on Sunday, Apple sent a letter to the senators saying they were “surprised” by their letter and that they intended to participate but simply wanted to seek a change in the date. “We have a deep respect for your role and process on these matters,” the letter reads. Bloomberg. The company will make available Kyle Andeer – who, according to Apple, represented the company before the U.S. House of Representatives and several states – on April 21. “We look forward to sharing our perspective on our App Store,” the letter reads.
Lee said in a joint statement with Klobuchar by email to The edge On Sunday, he was pleased that Apple had changed course and agreed to testify before the committee.
Klobuchar said in the statement that the trial would investigate “whether Apple and Google use their power as gatekeepers to charge high fees and impose restrictions that suppress competition in mobile applications and related markets, and that both companies’ participation in the trial is needed. ” She added that the companies “have the power to control how and whether mobile application developers can reach app users, and ultimately which applications become successful.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment The edge on Sunday. App Store practices, including the 30 percent fees charged by developers, have been overseen by lawmakers in recent months. Apple also struggles with Fortnite publisher Epic Games, which sued the iPhone maker for violating antitrust laws. The trial is set to begin on May 3.
Update 11 April 17:32 ET: Add statement from Sens. Klobuchar and Lee