Rave, the cross-platform co-viewing app that lets users watch movies and TV shows together online, has filed antitrust lawsuits against Apple in five countries after Apple removed the app from the App Store in August 2025. The company claims Apple targeted Rave because it competed with Apple’s own SharePlay feature, which offers similar watch-together functionality for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users.
According to Rave, Apple removed the app over “unspecified allegations of fraud” and broad concerns related to content moderation, but never clearly explained which rules the company violated. Rave also claims Apple later labeled its Mac app as malware, which stopped many macOS users from opening or installing the app.
Business Wire reported that Rave has now filed lawsuits in the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Russia, while seeking to restore access to iOS and macOS users and recover damages tied to the app’s removal.
“As long as Apple’s ‘gatekeeper’ power remains unchecked, no developer operating within Apple’s ecosystem can ever be secure,” said Rave CEO Michael Pazaratz. “When a dominant platform removes competing products without a fair process or accountability, all developers are disincentivized to invest in the sort of innovation that builds businesses, creates jobs and benefits consumers.”
Rave built its platform around cross-device viewing, allowing Android, Windows, iPhone, and Mac users to watch content together in real time while chatting through voice and text. Apple’s SharePlay, which launched in 2021, only works inside Apple’s ecosystem, and Rave argues that difference gave users more flexibility.
At the same time, discussion threads on Reddit raised concerns about public chatrooms inside Rave, including reports of scams, pornography, and CSAM-related material. Security tools from Kaspersky, BitDefender, Windows, and Google also reportedly flagged the app as suspicious or unsafe, which suggests Apple had additional reasons for taking action.
Rave says it has since developed “industry-leading” moderation and age verification systems through its a-eye.com platform as it pushes to return to Apple devices.
