Overview
- A group of 55 iPhone and iPad users submitted an administrative antitrust complaint to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on October 20.
- The filing alleges forced use of Apple’s in‑app purchase system, App Store‑only distribution on iOS, and commissions of up to 30 percent.
- Lawyer Wang Qiongfei leads the case after a 2021 civil suit was dismissed in Shanghai; an appeal was argued at the Supreme People’s Court in December and a ruling is pending.
- Apple has not responded to requests for comment, and the regulator has not announced whether it will open a formal probe.
- The complaint contrasts Apple’s China policies with changes in the EU and U.S., and it arrives during heightened U.S.–China tech tensions that have recently included a Qualcomm antitrust probe.