Apple Now Faces App Store Challenges in China, Too

A instrumentality steadfast successful China has filed a caller antitrust ailment accusing Apple of abusing its power implicit iOS app organisation and payments, escalating a quality that antecedently failed successful civilian tribunal by seeking enactment from authorities regulators instead, Reuters reports.


The caller ailment was submitted to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) connected behalf of 55 Chinese iPhone and iPad users. The filing alleges that Apple maintains a monopoly implicit iOS app organisation successful China via the App Store, restricts the usage of third-party outgo systems successful apps, and charges commissions of up to 30% connected integer transactions. Those claims reflector an earlier lawsuit brought successful 2021 by idiosyncratic plaintiff Jin Xin, represented by the aforesaid attorney, Wang Qiongfei. That suit was dismissed successful 2024 by a Shanghai tribunal aft demanding that Apple wholly cease collecting its ‌App Store‌ interest and wage damages.

Wang has present re-opened the lawsuit much broadly via a antithetic channel, telling the media that the caller administrative ailment is intended to punctual regulatory enforcement alternatively than a civilian judgment. Unlike the 2021 filing, this ailment incorporates a comparative statement based connected changes made successful different jurisdictions. The filing asserts that Apple is continuing to run a closed ‌App Store‌ successful China portion permitting alternate outgo methods and sideloading successful the European Union pursuing enforcement of the Digital Markets Act and a U.S. tribunal ruling that obliges Apple to let extracurricular outgo links.

Wang expects the regulatory ailment to proceed faster than the erstwhile civilian action. He is besides appealing the 2024 dismissal to China's Supreme People's Court, which heard arguments successful December. No ruling has yet been issued successful that appeal.
This article, "Apple Now Faces App Store Challenges successful China, Too" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

Discuss this article successful our forums