Apple seeks court relief to block CCI from accessing global financial records

Apple has asked an Indian court to prevent the Competition Commission of India (CCI) from seeking access to its global financial records as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation into the company’s app store practices, according to court documents.

The request comes as Apple continues to challenge the validity of India’s penalty rules for antitrust violations. The company is contesting the 2024 regulations that allow penalties to be calculated based on a firm’s global turnover, arguing that the framework is legally flawed. The matter is currently pending before the court.

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Apple is under investigation by the CCI, which has accused the company of abusing its dominant position in the app store market. Apple has denied the allegations. Neither Apple nor the CCI responded to requests for comment.

According to the filing dated January 15, which is not public, Apple has asked the Delhi High Court to direct the CCI to refrain from taking any action against the company at this stage and to place the investigation on hold. The filing follows a private order issued by the watchdog on December 31, in which it sought financial information from Apple.

Apple has argued that complying with the request for financial data while its legal challenge remains unresolved would undermine its case against the penalty framework. The company has expressed concerns that, if the global turnover method is applied, it could face fines of up to $38 billion.

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The CCI has defended the penalty rules, stating that the use of global turnover is necessary to ensure effective deterrence against antitrust violations by multinational companies.

The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear the matter on January 27.