Chinese developers file antitrust complaint over Apple's App Store fees

Chinese app developers have filed a complaint with the country's antitrust regulator, arguing that Apple's App Store commissions remain unreasonably high.

According to the South China Morning Post, the developers accused Apple of abusing its dominant market position in an open letter and called on regulators to intervene and, if necessary, penalize the company.

The complaint centers on Apple's App Store business model, which developers argue is unfair. Apple takes a percentage of purchases and in-app payments while preventing developers from distributing apps through alternative marketplaces. As a result, developers are forced to operate entirely within Apple's ecosystem without being able to offer users alternative payment methods that could be cheaper.

Apple has already made some concessions in China. In March 2026, the company reduced its commission on purchases and in-app payments from 30% to 25%, while some developers became eligible for rates as low as 12%.

According to the authors of the letter, however, those changes did not address the core issues. Apps still cannot be distributed outside the App Store, and payment rules remain tightly controlled by Apple. The developers argue that regulators should step in to address those concerns.