Apple accuses India CCI of overstepping in antitrust case

Apple has accused the Competition Commission of India (CCI) of overstepping its judicial authority in a new court filing tied to an ongoing antitrust case.

The case centers on accusations that Apple abused its dominant position on the App Store, which Apple denies. The key dispute involves penalty calculations under India's updated 2024 competition law, which bases fines on global turnover rather than local revenue. Apple claims this could result in a $38 billion levy, which it describes as “manifestly arbitrary, unconstitutional, grossly disproportionate, unjust.”

Apple has challenged the penalty framework and asked the Delhi High Court to declare the 2024 law illegal. The CCI has grown impatient with Apple's repeated extension requests, issuing a confidential order accusing the company of impeding proceedings and threatening to proceed.

Recently, the CCI demanded Apple's financial information and scheduled a final hearing for May 21. In a non-public filing on April 24, Apple urged the Delhi High Court to intervene and halt the matter, stating the CCI's decision “represents an escalation in its efforts to usurp the Honble Courts authority.” Apple requested a hearing on May 15.

Reuters reported the details and sought comment from Apple and the CCI, receiving no response.