Apple defended a decision to halt updates of a third-party email app, a move which appeared to lend credence to recent scrutiny of its App Store practices by global authorities, The Verge reported.

The news outlet reported Apple informed Basecamp, developer of the Hey app, it halted future updates because the company bypassed App Store rules by not offering an in-app purchase option. It stated Basecamp must adhere to the terms and conditions before it would allow iOS updates enabling the app to function.

At the start of the week the tech giant reportedly warned it would remove Hey from the App Store unless Basecamp began offering an in-app subscription option and share part of this revenue with Apple.

Basecamp disputed Apple’s claims, arguing it should not be obliged to make users register through in-app purchases and share 30 per cent of the subscription fees with Apple, The Verge stated.

Media reports claimed Apple allowed apps with similar business models to operate on the App Store without offering in-app purchases, including Amazon and Netflix.

The spat comes as Apple and other app marketplace operators are increasingly attracting attention from authorities concerned about competition matters: this even prompted the president of Microsoft to weigh in, by calling for a closer examination of the way software is distributed.