Apple Executive Defends App Store Rules Scrutinized by EU, U.S.

The Apple Inc. executive in charge of the App Store in Europe said that the company’s policies ensure a level playing field for developers and ease-of-use for customers as regulatory scrutiny over the platform mounts.

“Our efforts to help developers succeed are broad, deep and ongoing, and they extend to apps — in music, email, or a variety of other categories — that compete with some aspect of our business,” Daniel Matray, the iPhone maker’s head of App Store and media services in Europe, said in a speech Tuesday at a four-day virtual conference hosted by Forum Europe.

The speech comes as Apple faces antitrust probes in the European Union and U.S. over rules it imposes on developers. In particular, regulators are taking aim at the requirement that apps use the company’s in-house payment service, which takes a cut of 15% to 30% of most subscriptions and in-app purchases.