Today’s report explains that EU competition regulators are reaching out to 400 companies to research whether there are “problems in the market for voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri and other internet-connected devices that could lead to antitrust cases.”
Vestager explained that this probe was prompted by the large amounts of data involved in Internet of Things devices. The goal of the probe is to make sure that “market players did not use their control” of user to data to hurt the overall market competition or stifle rivals.
Apple is already under formal investigations in Europe over alleged anticompetitive behavior related to Apple Pay and In-App Purchase rules. This investigation focuses on whether Apple locked out competition contactless payment services as well as the 30% cut it takes of App Store transactions.
