Apple has accused India’s competition body of exceeding its powers by pushing the tech giant to submit its financials in an antitrust case related to its App Store, reports Reuters (a subscription is required to read the article).
An April 24 non-public Indian court submission by Apple, reviewed by Reuters on Thursday, is “the latest sign of a growing confrontation between the company and Indian investigators over a case in which Apple says it could face a penalty of up to $38 billion.”
Apple hasn’t submitted data sought by India’s antitrust body after an investigation found the U.S. firm abused its dominant position in the iPhone apps market, reports Reuters.
As a result, the country’s antitrust watchdog will fast-track a decision on penalties to a final hearing next month, the article adds. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) said in an April 8 order that Apple has not submitted details of its financials and its views on the investigation since October 2024, and instead cited a separate case pending in the Delhi High Court where the company has challenged India’s entire antitrust penalty law.
The CCI been investigating Apple since 2021 for allegedly abusing its dominant position in the apps market by forcing developers to use its proprietary in-app purchase system. The tech giant has denied wrongdoing saying it was a small player in India where phones that use Google’s Android system are dominant. Apple had asked for the investigative report to be put on hold, but was denied.
After the CCI this month gave Apple an ultimatum to submit its financials and scheduled a final hearing on May 21, the tech giant has urged the Delhi High Court to urgently intervene to put the matter on hold.
The “commission’s decision to schedule a final hearing represents an escalation in its efforts to usurp the Hon’ble Court’s authority,” Apple said in the filing, in which it asked the court to hear the matter on May 15.
The filing came in response to CCI’s April order, in which the watchdog said Apple had “been afforded adequate opportunities to file” its objections to the investigation report and has also “not submitted the requisite financial information.””
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