• Probe may have already become formal, but still in early stage
• Dawn raid considered initially but SAMR is said to have sent RFI instead
• Tensions center around App Store’s 30% charge to digital content industry

China’s antitrust enforcer, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), has commenced an antitrust investigation into the US tech giant Apple [NASDAQ:AAPL] for potential antitrust violations in relation to its App Store fee-charging conduct, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

SAMR’s investigation may have already become formal, according to the two sources. The probe currently is in an early stage, the first source added.

SAMR had considered a dawn raid on Apple’s corporate locations in China, but eventually, the agency sent a request for information (RFI) to Apple instead, according to the second source.

The Apple probe is the second recently launched investigation into a US tech giant following the agency’s antitrust probe into semiconductor behemoth Nvidia [NASDAQ: NVDA], which was announced on 9 December 2024. The Nvidia probe was viewed by antitrust lawyers as retaliation for escalating US export control measures.

There had been some press speculation in August and September 2024 around tensions between Apple and the Chinese gaming and digital content industry with regard to Apple’s fee and external payment systems.

Apple and SAMR did not respond to requests for comment.