China’s antitrust regulator is preparing for a possible investigation into Apple’s App Store developer fees and policies, amid a wider initiative by Beijing that could escalate tensions in the ongoing trade conflict with the United States.
The State Administration for Market Regulation is examining Apple’s policies, which include taking a cut of as much as 30% on in-app spending and barring external payment services and stores, people familiar with the matter said. Agency officials have spoken with Apple executives and app developers since last year, said the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive moves.
The conversations stem from long-running disputes between Apple and developers such as Tencent Holdings Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. over iOS store policies — a source of tension between the US company and regulators worldwide. While Beijing has since 2024 targeted the practices of US tech firms from Nvidia Corp. to most recently Alphabet Inc.’s Google, regulators may not formally move against Apple if the current conversations go well…
Chinese regulators believe that Apple may be charging local developers unreasonably high fees, the people said. They think the barring of third-party app stores and payment methods also hinders competition and hurts local consumers, the people said. If Apple resists making changes, the government may launch a formal investigation, the people added.
MacDailyNews Take: And we quote, “[R]egulators may not formally move against Apple if the current conversations go well.”
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