Apple has suffered a legal setback in India after the Delhi High Court ordered the company to cooperate with an ongoing antitrust investigation tied to its App Store practices. The ruling marks another significant development in Apple's expanding regulatory challenges across international markets.
The decision followed the court's rejection of Apple's request to temporarily pause proceedings initiated by the Competition Commission of India, commonly known as the CCI.
Investigation Focuses on App Store Competition Practices
The dispute centers on allegations that Apple's App Store policies may violate India's competition laws. Regulators are also seeking access to the company's financial data as part of the investigation.
Apple previously argued that the CCI exceeded its authority by requesting global financial information, rather than limiting the requests to revenue generated within India. The company also challenged recent revisions to India's competition law, which now allow regulators to calculate penalties based on worldwide revenue rather than only local earnings.
According to Reuters, Apple requested emergency intervention from the Delhi High Court to temporarily halt the investigation while it continued contesting the legality of the updated regulations.
Delhi High Court Allows Investigation To Continue
The High Court ultimately refused to suspend the antitrust proceedings and instructed Apple to fully cooperate with regulators moving forward.
However, the court also imposed temporary limitations on the CCI by preventing the agency from issuing a final ruling before the case returns to court on July 15. The decision gives Apple additional time to continue challenging parts of India's revised competition framework.
The court additionally allowed the Cupertino giant to submit certain documents into the legal record, although details regarding those materials were not publicly disclosed.
Global Scrutiny of Big Tech
9to5Mac reported that Apple has already faced similar regulatory challenges in Europe and the United States, where lawmakers and regulators continue examining issues involving app distribution rules, payment systems, and platform dominance.
India's investigation could potentially result in substantial financial penalties if regulators eventually determine that Apple violated competition laws under the country's updated enforcement structure.
For now, the legal dispute remains ongoing as Apple prepares for the next phase of court proceedings later this summer.
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