Delhi court orders Apple to cooperate May 18

Apple was told by the Delhi High Court to “fully cooperate” with Indian antitrust investigators after the company failed to win a pause in a case tied to its App Store practices, according to court reporting published on May 18. The court did, however, direct the Competition Commission of India, or CCI, not to issue a final order in the matter until at least July 15. Apple had asked for the proceedings to be put on hold while it challenges the legal framework India uses to calculate antitrust penalties. (msn.com) Reuters reported the order on Monday after the court’s direction was posted over the weekend. (thehindu.com) ### What exactly did the Delhi court decide? The Delhi High Court refused Apple’s request to halt the CCI’s proceedings and instead ordered the company to continue participating in the investigation, according to Reuters and other reports on the order. The court also barred the regulator from issuing a final decision before July 15, creating a temporary procedural pause rather than stopping the case itself. May 15 was the date of the underlying court direction, according to reports from The Hindu and Hindustan Times, while Reuters reported the development on May 18 after the order became more widely available. (msn.com) The bench was reported by legal and business outlets as being led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia. ### Why was Apple trying to stop the case now? Apple argued that the CCI was overreaching by pressing it to submit financial information while the company’s separate challenge to India’s antitrust penalty rules remains pending, Reuters reported. (msn.com) That financial data is typically relevant to calculating penalties, and Apple has been contesting provisions linked to the use of global turnover in setting fines. The immediate trigger was a CCI notice setting a final hearing for May 21, Hindustan Times reported. Apple’s counsel, identified by the newspaper as A.M. (thehindu.com) Singhvi, told the court that the company’s petition was already listed for July 15 even as the regulator moved ahead with the competition case. ### What is the antitrust case about? The CCI has been investigating Apple since 2021 over allegations that its App Store rules and in-app payment requirements harmed competition in the market for iOS app distribution and payments. (money.usnews.com) The case grew out of a complaint that Apple forced developers to use its own billing system and limited alternatives. A 142-page investigation report seen by Reuters in July 2024 said Apple exploited its dominant position in the market for app stores on its iOS operating system and engaged in “abusive conduct and practices.” Reuters reported at the time that investigators said Apple’s rules hurt app developers, users and rival payment processors. (hindustantimes.com) Apple denied wrongdoing and said it was a small player in India, where phones using Google’s Android system dominate. ### How far along is the India case? March 2025 brought a separate procedural fight in which Apple succeeded in blocking Tinder owner Match and an Indian startup group from seeing parts of the CCI material that Apple said contained commercially sensitive information. (in.investing.com) Reuters reported that dispute as the case moved closer to a final stage. April 2026 reports said the CCI had set a May 21 hearing as it examined Apple’s commissions, control over in-app payments and App Store rules. Some Indian outlets said the potential fine could be large if the regulator applies global-turnover provisions, though Apple’s legal challenge is aimed at that framework itself. (hindustantimes.com) ### What happens next? July 15 is now the key date in the court process, with the Delhi High Court having told the CCI not to pass a final order before then. That means the regulator can continue its proceedings and Apple must keep cooperating, but any final antitrust ruling is on hold until at least that date. (business-standard.com) (msn.com) (business-standard.com)