Apple has agreed to provide India-specific financial records to the Competition Commission of India, moving a long-running antitrust investigation into its App Store practices closer to a possible final determination. According to PYMNTS, the probe stems from 2021 complaints by Match Group and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation, which challenged Apple’s in-app payment rules and restrictions on developers.
Apple had previously resisted providing the financial information while pursuing court challenges tied to India’s revised competition law. The company argued that the law could allow regulators to calculate fines based on global revenue rather than India revenue, potentially exposing it to penalties of up to $38 billion. Indian regulators said they initially requested only India-specific financial data and accused Apple of delaying the probe through parallel legal actions.
The investigation centers on whether Apple’s App Store policies restrict competition by requiring developers to use its payment system for in-app purchases. Investigators have found that the App Store functions as “an unavoidable trading partner” for developers and that app makers were blocked from using third-party payment services for in-app purchases, PYMNTS reported.
Apple has argued that it remains a relatively small player in India’s smartphone market, where Android devices dominate. However, Counterpoint Research data cited in the report shows iPhones now account for about 9% of smartphone sales in India, up from roughly 2% five years ago.
The case mirrors broader global scrutiny of app store payment rules and digital marketplace control. India has already fined Google $113 million over similar in-app payment restrictions, though Google denied wrongdoing. Apple has also been asked to submit formal objections to the investigation’s findings, a step that could bring the case closer to penalties or corrective measures.
