Canadian app developer Rave has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the iPhone maker removed its app from the App Store to reduce competition and promote its own SharePlay feature. According to a report by Reuters, the lawsuit claims that Apple's actions denied users access to a product they enjoy and limited cross-platform viewing experiences.
Details of the Lawsuit
The complaint was filed in a US federal court in New Jersey. Rave is seeking reinstatement of its app and damages worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The developer asserts that Apple removed the app in 2025, citing dishonest or fraudulent activity, but argues that the decision was driven by competition concerns after Apple introduced SharePlay in 2021. The removal affected users by restricting their ability to watch and interact with content across different platforms, as noted in the Reuters report.
Statements from Rave and Apple
In a statement to Reuters, Rave CEO Michael Pazaratz said, Apple's pretextual removal of Rave from the App Store has harmed consumers significantly by limiting choice and effectively preventing Apple customers from co-viewing and connecting with non-Apple customers. He added that Apple's actions denied users access to a product they enjoy, disrupted communities built on Rave, and impaired Rave's ability to compete fairly based on the strength of its product.
Apple has rejected the claims, stating, We reject these baseless allegations. The company said the app was removed after repeated guideline violations, including hosting and sharing pornographic and pirated content, and user complaints regarding CSAM. In response, a Rave spokesperson described the allegations as baseless, adding that the company has zero tolerance for unlawful or exploitative content, and accused Apple of removing a cross-platform competitor from its App Store to increase its monopoly profits without a fair or transparent process.
Broader Context
This case adds to Apple's ongoing legal challenges over its App Store practices, including its dispute with Epic Games, which began in 2020 over in-app purchase commissions. The US Supreme Court recently sent that case back to a federal court in California.
Rave said it has also filed similar antitrust actions against Apple in Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil. The app remains available on Android and Windows platforms as the legal proceedings continue.
