Apple battles India over app market probe

Apple has accused India's competition body of overstepping its authority in an antitrust case related to the iPhone apps market. The U.S. technology company is resisting a demand from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to submit its financial data, arguing that it has challenged the country's penalty calculation law in a New Delhi court. This legal challenge is part of a larger dispute where Apple fears a potential penalty of up to $38 billion.

The CCI has been seeking Apple's financial information since 2024 following an investigation that found the company abused its dominant market position. After the CCI issued an ultimatum for Apple to submit the financials and scheduled a final hearing for May 21, Apple urged the Delhi High Court to intervene and halt the proceedings. Apple contends that the commission's actions usurp the court's authority and has requested an urgent hearing on May 15.

This case in India is one of several antitrust challenges Apple faces globally. While Apple maintains it holds a smaller market share compared to Google's Android in India, its iPhone market share has grown to 9% from 4% two years ago. Both Apple and the CCI have not responded to queries regarding the latest developments.