Apple Challenges India Antitrust Fine on Global Revenue

Apple Inc. has filed a constitutional challenge in India's Delhi High Court against a 2024 antitrust law amendment that could expose the company to fines of up to $38 billion, marking the first legal test of the provision allowing penalties based on global revenue rather than local earnings.

The filing, a 545-page document not publicly available, argues that the Competition Commission of India (CCI) should not use a company's worldwide turnover to calculate fines for antitrust violations. Under the law, penalties can reach 10 percent of a firm's average global revenue over three fiscal years. For Apple, that figure, based on its services revenue from 2022 to 2024, could total around $38 billion, according to the submission. The company contends such a penalty "would be manifestly arbitrary, unconstitutional, grossly disproportionate, unjust."

The dispute stems from an ongoing CCI investigation launched in 2022 following complaints from Match Group, owner of Tinder, and several Indian startups. They accused Apple of abusing its dominance in the iOS app market through restrictions on the App Store and in-app payment fees of up to 30 percent. CCI investigators issued a report last...