China’s long fight over Apple’s App Store rules has entered a new phase, and this time regulators sit at the center. A Beijing law firm has filed an administrative complaint on behalf of 55 iPhone and iPad users, arguing that Apple abuses market dominance by locking distribution and payments to its own platforms while charging commissions that reach 30 percent.
According to Reuters, the filing targets China’s State Administration for Market Regulation and seeks regulatory action rather than another civil trial. The lawyer leading the case, Wang Qiongfei, says the complaint should move faster than past litigation and explicitly contrasts Apple’s stance in China with concessions allowed in Europe.
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Apple has not commented on the new complaint, and you should expect silence until the regulator signals next steps.
Why the strategy changed
The shift to an administrative route follows a failed 2021 civil lawsuit from a single consumer, Jin Xin, which a Shanghai court dismissed in 2024. If you track antitrust in China, you know administrative probes can reshape markets more quickly than private suits.
The new filing alleges three violations of China’s Anti-Monopoly Law. It says Apple forces in-app purchases through its own system, limits iOS app downloads to the App Store, and collects commissions up to 30 percent on digital goods. It also cites Apple’s acceptance of alternative stores and payment options in Europe to argue unequal treatment for Chinese users.
The broader legal backdrop
Despite Apple’s win in the 2021 case, Chinese plaintiffs filed a separate antitrust suit in 2024 over an allegedly unlawful app removal, with hearings reported in November and limited visibility since then.
Wang says he has appealed the original dismissal to China’s Supreme People’s Court, with arguments heard in December and a ruling still pending. If regulators open a probe now, the administrative track could eclipse the courtroom timeline and set the real pace.
If regulators accept the complaint, Apple faces pressure to open distribution or payments in China, which would alter developer economics and user choice at scale. You should watch for any official docketing by the market regulator, early information requests to Apple, and signs that Beijing aligns this case with wider technology policy. A formal probe would signal the biggest test yet of Apple’s App Store model in its most strategically sensitive market.
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