The Delhi High Court has refused to put India's antitrust case against Apple on hold and instructed the company to work with investigators probing its App Store practices. The court's order, uploaded on May 15, directed Apple to fully cooperate with the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Apple had sought a complete pause on proceedings while it separately challenges India's penalty calculation law in the same court, but that request was denied.
Narrow Procedural Concession
The court allowed Apple to bring certain documents on record, a narrow procedural concession that falls short of the full stay it was seeking. The CCI's lawyer told the bench that a multinational company had been stalling a regulator's hand in 2026 in a case open since 2021.
Apple's Five-Year Stonewalling Act
The case stems from a December 2021 complaint filed by Jaipur-based non-profit Together We Fight Society. Match Group, the parent of Tinder and Hinge, and the Alliance of Digital India Foundation later joined the complaint. At the heart of the matter is Apple's requirement that developers use its in-app purchase system for digital content, paying commissions of up to 30%, with no alternative payment routes permitted.
CCI investigators concluded their probe in July 2024, finding that Apple abused its dominant position. The App Store, they determined, functions as an unavoidable gatekeeper, as developers have no other way to reach iPhone users in India. This verdict is not unique to India.
Global Parallels
London's Competition Appeal Tribunal reached a similar conclusion in October 2025, finding Apple overcharged developers for five years in a case valued at £1.5 billion. In the US, Apple was found in contempt for defying a court order stemming from its battle with Epic Games and has been twice denied a pause on rulings barring it from charging commissions on external purchases. Epic relisted Fortnite on the App Store globally last week, nearly six years after Apple removed it.
Why Apple Is Hiding Its Books from CCI
Apple's resistance to handing over its financials stems from what India could do with them. The updated competition law allows penalties to be calculated on a company's global turnover, not just local revenue. Apple estimates its exposure at up to $38 billion under that framework, which is why it filed a writ petition in November 2025 challenging the law itself.
The company has refused to hand over financial data to the CCI since October 2024, using its separate legal challenge as cover. The CCI, running out of patience, scheduled a final hearing for May 21, prompting Apple to seek an emergency stay from the High Court. In an April 24 court filing reviewed by Reuters, Apple accused the CCI of usurping judicial authority by pushing ahead with proceedings while its legal challenge remains pending, calling the scheduled hearing an escalation designed to circumvent the court's oversight.
The court was unmoved. Proceedings continue, and Apple now has until July 15 to demonstrate cooperation. Apple's only win on the day: the regulator cannot issue a final ruling before July 15, when the matter returns to court.
