Apple has been on the fence lately with governments and courts globally putting a strict radar on the Cupertino brand. It recently had to settle a $250 million Apple Intelligence lawsuit and now the company faces further legal hurdles in India amidst an ongoing antitrust filing for abusive App Store practices.
Delhi High Court Orders Apple to "Cooperate", Puts Temporary Hold on CCI Verdict
As per a new Reuters report, the Delhi High Court on Saturday, that is, May 16, 2026, has issues a mandatory notice, ordering Apple to "fully cooperate" with the ongoing antitrust case against the company.
It has refused the Cupertino brand's request to halt the antitrust proceedings, but has instructed the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to not issue a final verdict until at least July 15, 2026. Delhi High Court has also dismissed Apple's challenge to amend the penalty rules, wherein the firm has been instructed to hand over its financials, under the antitrust penalty calculation law.
The current dispute is linked to a six year old antitrust case which alleged Apple of having unfair and monopolistic App Store payment system, which forces app developers to pay 30% commission and use only Apple's proprietary in-app payment system.
It came to light in 2021, when non-profit organisation, Together We Fight Society, filed a complaint against Apple with the CCI. The complaint was also joined by several Indian startups, represented by the Alliance of Digital India Foundation and Match Group. The case began to gain momentum in 2024, when the CCI investigation concluded that Apple abused its dominant position by forcing developers and found that Apple’s App store functioned as a forceful trading agreement leaving developers no choice.
Since then, Apple has denied any wrongdoings and Apple representatives, senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Aditya Sondhi, had filed an application seeking to bring new documents on record and to stop the CCI from taking any further action.
