China May Investigate Apple App Store: Tech War Escalation?

The drums of the US-China trade war just may be beating a little louder. As the US launches new tariffs on goods from China, it seems Beijing may be weighing an historic counter-punch: an investigation into Apple's App Store. A possible tit-for-tat escalation: what does that mean for the tech giant and the greater global economy? Rumors have it that the SAMR-the big market regulator in China-is preparing to investigate Apple's policies regarding the App Store. The things being scrutinized closely: Apple's very well-known 30 percent cut on purchases, and also, the limitation put on different ways of payments besides their traditional set, plus restrictions on different marketplaces. Incidentally, this is not all new turf that is being trespassed upon. A similar look-into happened in 2024 that, in surprise to many, concluded Apple's fees were "fair." Yet, it would appear the conversation behind closed doors between Chinese regulators, Apple, and app developers ha…