Apple Faces Investigation in China Over Monopoly

China’s antitrust regulator is preparing an investigation into Apple, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the situation. The potential subject of the investigation is the App Store’s policies.

According to Bloomberg, Chinese authorities suspect that Apple forced app developers to pay excessively high fees — ranging from 15% to 30% depending on their income levels. Additionally, the antitrust officials intend to assess the legality of prohibiting the use of alternative payment systems and mobile stores on iOS.

It is reported that the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) in China began discussing this issue with Apple executives and developers last year.

Representatives from Apple and SAMR did not comment on the Bloomberg report.

Notably, Chinese developers had previously attempted to sue the corporation, accusing it of imposing excessively large commissions in the App Store. Their efforts were unsuccessful. In May 2024, a Shanghai court dismissed one such lawsuit and pointed out that the commission rate in the App Store does not significantly differ from that in Android stores.