A group of 48 developers based in China has filed an antitrust complaint with the country’s State Administration for Market Regulation, continuing a series of legal cases against Apple’s App Store that go back nearly a decade. <\/p>\n
Chinese developers filed a similar suit in 2017<\/a>, then App Store fees were targeted in 2021<\/a>. Following the developers’ loss in one case against the company, a Chinese law firm sued again in 2025<\/a>.
<\/p>\n Perhaps to just stop running up its legal bills, and surely to appease regulators, Apple even lowered its Chinese App Store commission back in March 2026<\/a>. However, it also lowered commissions in Brazil in June 2026<\/a>, and allowed for third-party app stores there too.
<\/p>\n According to the South China Morning Post, though, 48 Chinese developers have subsequently filed<\/a> a complaint with China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). In an open letter to the regulator, the developers want an investigation into Apple’s alleged abuse of its market dominance.
<\/p>\n The letter also calls out what the group calls Apple’s “unfair and excessively high” fees for local developers. It notes that Apple promised to charge the lowest commission in China, but has failed to do so.
<\/p>\n At present, Apple charges a 25% commission on paid apps and in-app purchases. Subscription renewals were cut from 15% to 12% in March 2026.
<\/p>\n In comparison, Brazilian rates are between 10% and 21% of transactions, plus a 5% processing fee.
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