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Apple Seeks Court Block on India Antitrust Probe’s Demand for Global Financial Data

By  |  January 22, 2026

Apple has moved to block India’s competition regulator from accessing its worldwide financial records, escalating a legal fight that could have major financial consequences for the U.S. technology giant, according to Reuters.

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    Court filings show that Apple has asked a Delhi High Court judge to restrain the Competition Commission of India (CCI) from acting on a request for its global revenue data while the company challenges the legality of India’s antitrust penalty framework. The dispute stems from an investigation in which the CCI accused Apple of abusing its dominant position through its App Store policies, claims that Apple has denied.

    The case centers on India’s 2024 penalty rules, which allow regulators to calculate fines based on a company’s global turnover rather than just its local revenue. Apple has argued that this approach exposes it to a potential penalty of as much as $38 billion if the watchdog proceeds under the new framework, per Reuters. The company has already filed a separate legal challenge questioning the validity of these rules, a case that remains unresolved.

    Read more: India Issues Final Warning to Apple in Antitrust Probe

    Despite that pending challenge, the regulator moved forward late last year. The CCI issued a confidential order on December 31 requesting Apple’s financial details. In response, Apple filed a petition on January 15 seeking an immediate halt to the watchdog’s actions and a suspension of the broader investigation, according to Reuters. The filing, which is not public, argues that compliance at this stage would undermine Apple’s main case against the penalty rules.

    Indian regulators, for their part, have defended the global turnover model as a necessary deterrent for large multinational corporations, Reuters reported. Neither Apple nor the CCI responded to requests for comment from the news agency.

    The Delhi High Court is set to consider Apple’s request on January 27, a hearing that could determine whether the antitrust investigation proceeds while the legal challenge to India’s penalty regime is still pending.

    Source: Reuters