Apple has been on the radar lately, especially of Governments and courts. It recently settled a $250 million Apple Intelligence lawsuit and has been in an active fight with the Indian High Court since 2021. Now, the case is reaching its final stages with Apple being instructed to hand over its financial data.
Apple Gives CCI Access to Its India Business Financials
As per a new Reuters report, Apple has decided to hand over its financial data to the Competition Commission of India (CCI). This is in response to a mandatory notice that the Delhi High Court issued on May 16, 2026.
However, unlike the initial CCI demand of accessing the financial details of the global business, it will now only have access to the Cupertino brand's India business financials. This was previously contested by senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Aditya Sondhi, who are officially representing Apple.
This data will be used by CCI to understand the extent of the antitrust case breach and calculate the final penalty that will be imposed on Apple on or after July 15, 2026. The current dispute is linked to a six-year-old antitrust case, which alleged Apple had unfair and monopolistic App Store payment practices. It accused Apple of charging 30% store commission and forcing app developers to only use Apple's proprietary in-app payment system.
The issue has been ongoing since 2021 and now in 2026, it is reaching its final stages. It came to light in 2021, when non-profit organisation, Together We Fight Society, filed a complaint against Apple with the CCI. It was also backed 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.
Hence, the 2026 final verdict will not only impose a hefty penalty on Apple but will also force it to change its App Store practices, especially in India. This will be a huge relief for app developers and consumers alike since developers will not need to charge huge app payment or installation prices, considering 30% commissions.
