India Sets May 21 Hearing in Apple App Store Probe

India's antitrust regulator has accelerated its proceedings against Apple, scheduling a final hearing for May 21 after the company failed to provide required financial data and responses in an investigation into its app store practices.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) issued an order on April 8 stating that Apple had not submitted details of its financials or its views on the probe since October 2024. Instead, the company referenced a separate challenge it filed in the Delhi High Court questioning the validity of India's antitrust penalty provisions. The CCI, which typically uses such financial information to determine fines for violations, rejected Apple's March request to suspend the case pending the court ruling, describing the move as an attempt to delay proceedings.

The investigation stems from complaints filed starting in 2021 by a nonprofit organization, followed by objections from Match Group, the owner of Tinder, and several Indian startups. CCI investigators concluded in a 2024 report that Apple had abused its dominant position in the iOS apps market by mandating the use of its proprietary in-app purchase system, which imposes commissions on developers. Apple...