Rave files antitrust lawsuit against Apple over App Store removal
Rave seeks reinstatement and hundreds of millions in damages, alleging the App Store ban was a pretext to eliminate competition. Apple denies the claims, citing repeated guideline violations involving prohibited content.
Software developer Rave has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in U.S. federal court in New Jersey, alleging that the iPhone maker removed its video-sharing application from the App Store to protect its own competing product, SharePlay. The complaint, lodged by the Ontario-based company, seeks the reinstatement of the app and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
Rave contends that the removal of its platform was a pretext designed to eliminate a competitor that relied on advertising revenue rather than generating commission fees for Apple. The developer argues that the true motive for the ban was the introduction of SharePlay in 2021, a feature that allows users to share media playback across devices. In the legal filing, Rave states it alleges the app was removed in 2025 under the guise of dishonest or fraudulent activity, despite the company maintaining that it has zero tolerance for unlawful content.
Apple has firmly rejected the allegations as baseless. In a statement released in response to the lawsuit, the technology giant asserted that the Rave app was removed following repeated guideline violations. These breaches reportedly included the hosting and sharing of pornographic and pirated content, as well as user complaints regarding child sexual abuse material, known as CSAM. Apple emphasised that it communicated these violations to the developer on multiple occasions before taking action.
A spokesperson for Rave dismissed the safety concerns raised by Apple as unfounded. The company highlighted that its application remains available on Android and Windows, allowing users to watch and discuss video content together across iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. Rave claims that the removal of the app from the App Store has significantly harmed consumers by limiting choice and preventing Apple customers from co-viewing content with users on non-Apple devices.
This legal action marks the latest in a series of antitrust disputes between the two tech giants. Rave noted that it has filed similar legal actions against Apple in Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil. The company argues that Apple's actions have disrupted communities built on its platform and impaired its ability to compete fairly based on the strength of its product.
The filing occurs as Apple continues to navigate a long-standing antitrust dispute with Epic Games, the creator of Fortnite. That case, which centres on App Store commission fees, was recently sent back to U.S. federal court by the Supreme Court. Both sides maintain that their respective positions regarding App Store policies and competition are justified.
