Apple Faces Antitrust Lawsuit Over Removal of Competing Apps

Apple is facing a growing antitrust challenge as Rave, a Canadian developer of a cross-platform video co-viewing app, has filed lawsuits in five countries—including the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Russia—accusing the tech giant of unfairly removing its app from the Apple App Store. The legal action, announced on May 7, 2026, alleges that Apple’s decision to delist Rave’s app was not due to violations of App Store policies, but rather to eliminate competition from its own in-house feature, SharePlay.

Rave’s app, which allows users to watch and discuss video content together across iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS, has been a popular tool for shared viewing experiences. The company claims its app has been downloaded over 225 million times and primarily generates revenue through advertising, not through Apple’s in-app purchase system, which means it does not generate commission income for the App Store operator.

According to the lawsuit, Apple removed Rave from the App Store in 2025, citing “dishonest or fraudulent activity” as the reason. However, Rave’s CEO, Michael Pazaratz, disputes this, arguing that the true motivation was to protect Apple’s own SharePlay feature, introduced in 2021. SharePlay enables users to watch and interact with content simultaneously on Apple devices, directly competing with Rave’s functionality.

“Apple’s pretextual removal of Rave from the App Store has harmed consumers significantly by limiting choice and effectively preventing Apple customers from co-viewing and connecting with non-Apple customers,” Pazaratz stated in a press release. “Apple’s actions denied users access to a product they enjoy, disrupted the communities built on Rave, and impaired Rave’s ability to compete fairly based on the strength of its product.”

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of antitrust disputes involving Apple and third-party app developers. The company has previously faced legal challenges over its App Store policies, most notably in its long-running battle with Epic Games, the creator of “Fortnite,” which accused Apple of anticompetitive practices related to its 30% commission on in-app purchases. The U.S. Supreme Court recently sent that case back to a lower federal court in California for further proceedings.

Apple has not yet publicly responded to the allegations. The company’s ability to delist apps from its App Store has been a contentious issue, with courts in the past ruling that Apple can remove apps “with or without cause,” as seen in the recent dismissal of a lawsuit by the music-streaming app Musi. However, Rave’s multi-country legal strategy underscores the growing scrutiny of Apple’s App Store policies and their impact on competition and consumer choice.

While Rave’s app remains available on Android and Windows, its exclusion from the Apple App Store limits its reach among iOS users, a significant portion of its potential audience. The outcome of these lawsuits could have broader implications for how tech giants manage their app ecosystems and the level of competition they allow within their walled gardens.

The case also highlights the increasing tension between platform providers and third-party developers, who argue that restrictive policies stifle innovation and limit consumer options. As the legal battles unfold, industry observers will be watching closely to see how regulators and courts balance the interests of tech companies against those of developers and end-users.