Overview
- The Delhi High Court order, posted Saturday, requires Apple to work with the Competition Commission of India and blocks a final ruling until July 15.
- Regulators have sought Apple’s audited financials for 2022–2024 to compute any fine, and a final hearing the CCI set for May 21 is effectively pushed back by the court’s restraint.
- Apple denies wrongdoing and is contesting India’s updated penalty framework that allows fines up to 10% of a company’s average global revenue, with some reports estimating exposure as high as $38 billion.
- The case stems from a December 2021 complaint, and CCI investigators concluded in July 2024 that Apple abused dominance by forcing use of its in‑app purchase system and by running the App Store as an unavoidable gateway for iOS developers.
- What happens next could affect app makers’ fees and payment options in India, even as Apple expands sales and iPhone production in the country and faces similar App Store scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe.