The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has declined Apple’s request to suspend a revised investigation report that accuses the tech giant of violating competition laws, Reuters reports.
This decision allows the antitrust case against Apple to proceed, according to an internal CCI order seen by Reuters.
The investigation dates back to 2021, initiated by the Indian nonprofit Together We Fight Society (TWFS), which alleged that Apple abused its dominant position in the app store market. In August, the CCI issued an initial investigation report but later recalled it after Apple raised concerns that commercially sensitive information had been improperly shared with competitors, including Tinder-owner Match Group. The regulator instructed involved parties to return and destroy copies of the initial report before issuing a revised version.
Apple recently argued that TWFS had not complied with the directive to destroy the old report, urging the CCI to take action against the nonprofit and to put the revised report on hold. However, the CCI dismissed Apple’s request, calling it “untenable,” according to the order dated November 13.
The CCI’s investigation alleges that Apple’s app store practices harm developers, users, and alternative payment processors. Specifically, the report suggests Apple leveraged its control over the iOS app store to disadvantage competitors and enforce restrictive payment policies. Apple has denied these allegations, stating that its presence in India’s smartphone market is minimal compared to Android devices, which dominate the sector.
As part of the ongoing proceedings, Apple has been asked to submit audited financial statements for the fiscal years 2021–2024. This information will help determine potential financial penalties if the company is found guilty of violating competition laws.
The CCI’s senior officials will now review the revised investigation report and issue a final ruling on the matter.
Apple has not commented on the decision, and the CCI has not issued a statement outside regular business hours. Attempts to reach representatives of TWFS for comment were unsuccessful.
