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Chinese Consumers File Antitrust Complaint Against Apple Over App Store Practices

By  |  October 20, 2025

A coalition of 55 iPhone and iPad users in China has filed a formal complaint with the nation’s market regulator, accusing Apple of abusing its dominant position in the app marketplace. According to Reuters, the complaint was submitted to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) on Monday and challenges the U.S. company’s control over app distribution and payment systems on its iOS platform.

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    The complaint, led by attorney Wang Qiongfei, comes at a time of escalating trade and technology tensions between Beijing and Washington. Both governments have increasingly turned to tariffs and export controls as instruments of policy, and China has intensified scrutiny of U.S. technology firms. Per Reuters, the complainants contend that Apple enforces a monopoly over the iOS app ecosystem in China by requiring users to download apps exclusively from the App Store and make digital purchases through Apple’s own In-App Purchase system, where commissions can reach 30%.

    The filing cites three alleged violations of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law: limiting payment options to Apple’s proprietary system, restricting app downloads solely to the App Store, and imposing what it calls excessive transaction fees. The group argues that Apple’s practices are discriminatory, noting that in other markets—particularly in Europe and the United States—Apple has been compelled by regulators to open its ecosystem to third-party app stores and alternative payment methods.

    Read more: Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Misuse of Copyrighted Books in AI Training

    This is not the first time Wang has taken on Apple in Chinese courts. According to Reuters, he previously led a similar case filed in 2021, which was dismissed by a Shanghai court last year. That verdict is currently under appeal before China’s Supreme People’s Court, which heard arguments in December but has yet to issue a ruling.

    Wang told Reuters he expects the administrative complaint to proceed more swiftly than the earlier civil lawsuit, given SAMR’s regulatory authority over market conduct. The outcome could signal how China intends to balance enforcement of its competition laws with the broader geopolitical pressures affecting its relationship with the United States.

    As noted by Reuters, the complaint also arrives amid a broader Chinese clampdown on major U.S. technology companies. In recent months, regulators have opened investigations into several firms, including semiconductor giant Qualcomm, which is under scrutiny for its planned acquisition of Israeli auto-chipmaker Autotalks.

    Source: Reuters