The first trial stemming from a wave of UK class action antitrust lawsuits against Big Tech is due to start on Monday as Apple faces a £1.5bn legal claim it levies “excessive and unfair” charges on software downloaded from its app store.
Barring a last-minute settlement, the iPhone maker will begin a courtroom showdown in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal over allegations it has abused a dominant market position to charge commissions of as much as 30 per cent on purchases on its App Store marketplace.
The seven-week trial, in which Apple’s newly appointed chief financial officer Kevan Parekh is due to testify, is the latest in a growing list of legal challenges faced by Big Tech companies around the world.