Proton Sues Apple Over 'Artificial and Arbitrary' App Store Fees

Swiss company Proton today filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing Apple of violating U.S. antitrust law. Proton is technically joining an existing May 23 class-action lawsuit against Apple that includes several Korean developers, but it has filed its own legal complaint. Proton is known for Proton Mail, an email service that uses client-side encryption for security.

In a blog post explaining the decision to file against Apple, Proton said it wants to make sure that a future settlement or ruling in the class-action suit affects "real changes" to Apple's App Store policies rather than just "cosmetic changes." The lawsuit Proton is joining is seeking monetary damages for developers, but Proton said that any funds it receives will be donated.

Proton claims Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees encourage the "surveillance capitalism business model" used by companies like Meta and Google, while harming smaller privacy-focused companies that don't monetize data. Free apps that exploit data don't pay Apple's fees, but apps that offer services in exchange for money do have to give a cut to Apple.

Proton believes that Apple's control over the ‌App Store‌ gives it too much power over app distribution, which Proton says is an issue when Apple has to comply with government app removal requests in different countries.

Finally, Proton suggests Apple's policies disadvantage end users by controlling the information that developers can provide to customers and by increasing prices that consumers pay. Proton says that it has been unable to link to FAQs and customer support pages from its apps because of Apple's restrictions on links, which is a worse experience for consumers. Proton also argues that it is unable to offer lower prices to customers because it has to pay Apple's fees.

The remedies we are seeking would address many of the social ills mentioned above, ensuring that the internet of the future can continue to protect privacy and democracy. Mobile apps are now the dominant platform of the internet and the way the bulk of the world interacts with one another and with the web. Even if app stores started out as niche markets, today they are a critical component of the internet and fundamental to democracy. It is more essential than ever that we fight to create mobile ecosystems that are truly free, competitive, and not beholden to whichever dictator corporate leaders are currently bowing down to.

Proton's filing includes a long list of requested ‌App Store‌ changes that it asks the court to put in place, including support for distributing apps through alternative app marketplaces and websites, and using alternative payment methods.