Brussels probes Apple’s iPhone tactics

Brussels is investigating whether Apple is muscling out rival smartphone makers from the European market with anti-competitive iPhone sales tactics and technical restrictions on the handset.

The scrutiny adds to the pressure Apple is facing from government regulators, coming in the week that US senators questioned Apple chief executive Tim Cook for the technology company’s tax accounting practices. According to a questionnaire sent to several EU mobile network operators, the European Commission’s probe is focusing on distribution terms that might favor Apple by ensuring no rival can secure a better sales deal.