An antitrust complaint has been filed in China claiming that Apple is abusing their control over payments and app distribution on iOS. The complaint was filed and passed onto the SAMR or the State Admiration for Market Regulations on behalf of 55 users of iPads and iPhones in China.
The complaint accuses Apple of having control over iOS app distribution with the use of the App Store, preventing the use of third-party payment options, along with a 30% charge in commissions for digital transactions.
The claims are similar to an earlier case made by Jin Xin, an individual plaintiff back in 2021 represented by Wang Qiongfei, the same attorney. The lawsuit was then concluded last year, where the Shanghai Court demanded that Apple pay damages and stop collecting their fee in the App Store.
Wang Qiongfei anticipates that the complaint will proceed faster compared to the last action, and he is appealing last year’s dismissal of the case to the Supreme People’s Court in China.
