China Targets Apple, Weighs Probe Into App Store Fees

China’s antitrust watchdog is laying the groundwork for a potential probe into Apple Inc.’s policies and the fees it charges app developers, part of a broader push by Beijing that risks becoming another flashpoint in the country’s trade war with the US.
The State Administration for Market Regulation is examining Apple’s policies, which include taking a cut of as much as 30% on in-app spending and barring external payment services and stores, people familiar with the matter said. Agency officials have spoken with Apple executives and app developers since last year, said the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive moves.
The conversations stem from long-running disputes between Apple and developers such as Tencent Holdings Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. over iOS store policies - a source of tension between the US company and regulators worldwide. While Beijing has since 2024 targeted the practices of US tech firms from Nvidia Corp. to most recently Alphabet Inc.’s Google, regulators may not formally move against Apple if the current conversations go well.
Though the examination of Apple’s practices began before US President Donald Trump took office, they’re now colliding with a series of tit-for-tat moves between Beijing and the Trump administration, which is threatening to ignite a global trade war. On Tuesday, the watchdog announced a formal probe into Google and allegations of anticompetitive behavior just seconds after new US tariffs on China came into effect.
Bloomberg's Anurag Rana reports on Bloomberg Intelligence.
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