Overview
- A lawyer for 55 iPhone and iPad users submitted an administrative complaint to China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on October 20.
- The filing alleges three violations of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law: forced use of Apple’s in‑app payments, App Store‑only distribution, and commissions of up to 30%.
- Apple has not commented, and the regulator has not announced a formal probe, as the complaint lands during a period of heightened competition enforcement that recently included a Qualcomm inquiry.
- The same attorney, Wang Qiongfei, previously brought a 2021 case that a Shanghai court dismissed in 2024; an appeal was argued at the Supreme People’s Court in December and remains pending.
- The complainants cite Apple’s concessions in the EU, U.S., and Japan to argue unequal treatment in China, while analysts say any regulator‑led remedies could hit services income, estimating about $6.44 billion in 2024 App Store commissions from Chinese users.