A German app designer has filed a complaint with European Union antitrust authorities against Google and Apple which he said last year rejected a game aimed at encouraging compliance with government Covid-19 rules.
A number of developers have challenged Google and Apple over their app policies, triggering calls for regulatory action as nearly all smartphones outside restricted markets such as China come with either Google’s Play store or Apple Store.
In the United States, state attorney generals are planning a lawsuit against Google over its Play Store for Android phones following complaints.
The latest complaint filed with the European Commission came this week from the German app developed Florian Mueller, who is also a lobbyist and blogger and once led a successful campaign against a piece of EU legislation.
Mueller has filed a similar complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice and antitrust watchdogs in Germany, the Netherlands, Britain and Australia. He is also planning to file another in India next week.
Mueller also said the app rules set by the two U.S tech giants are holding back innovation, in breach of EU regulation, after both companies rejected his Corona Control Game app in November.
Google and Apple rules say Covid-19 related apps must be government approved in order to avoid promoting conflicting or incorrect health advice.
In response to Mueller’s complaint, Google said that it only approves apps that reference Covid-19 or related terms if they are published, commissioned, or authorized by an official government entity or public health organization.
Apple had no immediate comment but referred to guidelines issued in March which say entertainment or game apps with Covid-19 as their theme will not be allowed.
