Apple Asks Indian Court to Block Antitrust Probe From Accessing Global Financials [Report]

Apple is asking the Delhi High Court to block India's antitrust regulator from accessing its global financial records. The request was reported by Reuters and stems from a legal dispute over how antitrust penalties are calculated.



The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been investigating Apple over allegations that it abused its dominant position in the App Store market. Tensions rose on December 31, when the watchdog issued a private order demanding the company's financial statements. In a filing submitted on January 15, Apple asked the judge to put that demand on hold and pause the investigation entirely while the court decides on the legality of the penalty rules themselves.


At the heart of the dispute are new guidelines introduced in 2024 that changed how antitrust fines are calculated. Regulators can now base penalties on a company's global turnover, not just the revenue generated within India. For a tech giant like Apple, that distinction is worth billions. Apple has stated in court filings that this method could result in fines as high as $38 billion. The company argues that being forced to hand over global financial data now would undermine its main legal challenge against the penalty rules. The CCI maintains the stricter calculations are necessary to deter multinational corporations from breaking competition laws.

The legal dispute comes as Apple continues to expand its presence in India. The company recently hit a major milestone, reaching $50 billion in cumulative iPhone exports from the country. Sales are also rising domestically, with CEO Tim Cook highlighting an all-time revenue record in the country during the last earnings call.

Despite that growth, the relationship with local regulators has been rocky. This is the latest point of friction between Apple and New Delhi. The company recently pushed back against a plan that would require always-on location tracking for smartphones, and it succeeded in getting a mandate dropped that would have forced manufacturers to preload a government app.

Regulators elsewhere are also tightening scrutiny. Apple recently lost a major antitrust case in the UK over App Store fees and is currently accusing the EU of using political delay tactics to delay changes required by the Digital Markets Act.


The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear Apple's plea on January 27. Both Apple and the CCI did not respond to requests for comment.

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