Having failed to get App Store charges stopped with one lawsuit, a law firm in China is trying again with a new complaint over the same issues.
Back in 2021, individual consumer Jin Xin sued Apple China, demanding that Apple entirely cease its 30% App Store fee. Represented by Wang Qiongfei, the case further demanded recompense for lost income, but was completely thrown out in 2024.
Now according to Reuters, the same lawyer and law firm have filed the same complaint — but this time on behalf of a group of 55 users. The complaint has been filed with China's State Administration for Market Regulation, which means the law firm hopes to see regulatory action taken against Apple.
Other than being directed at getting the government to take action, the new case adds just one key element to the argument. It points out that Apple is continuing its monopoly App Store in China while permitting alternatives in Europe.
Wang has reportedly said that the expects this complaint to move faster through the country's regulators than the civil lawsuit did. However, he also said that he is currently taking an appeal to China's Supreme People's Court, against that civil lawsuit ruling.
Apple has not commented on the new complaint.
Ongoing App Store cases
The original 2021 lawsuit was not in itself considered serious, but it was thought that it would prompt very many more cases if Apple were to lose it. Despite Apple's victory, though, an antitrust lawsuit was filed in 2024 that resembles the long-running Epic Games one.
This case over Apple's allegedly unlawful removal of an app appeared to culminate in a November 2024 hearing. However, no further details were made public, so it may yet be continuing.
In February 2025, the Chinese government itself threatened an App Store probe. That was directly in response to trade tensions caused by Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs.
