June 30, 2025
Swiss privacy software company Proton on Monday sued Apple (AAPL), in U.S. federal court, accusing the technology giant of maintaining an illegal stranglehold on iPhone app distribution and charging excessive commissions to app developers.
Proton, which provides the secure email service Proton Mail, filed the proposed class action, in the federal court in Oakland, California, on behalf of app developers.
The lawsuit said Apple was violating antitrust law by forcing developers to use its payment processing services and imposing a 30% commission on most transactions.
A related class action was filed, in May against Apple by the Korean Publishers Association and several other plaintiffs. Proton said it was building on that lawsuit, and was focused on winning a court order that would force Apple to allow competing app stores and payment processors on its iOS platform.
In a statement, Proton said it sued Apple “to set an important precedent that free people, not monopolies, will dictate the future of the internet.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Founded in 2014, Proton offers secure consumer-facing apps for email, calendars and other areas. The company now has more than 100 million user accounts, according to its lawsuit.
Proton’s lawsuit estimated there were millions of potential class members.
Apple faces other antitrust lawsuits, including one filed by the U.S. Justice Department accusing the company of monopolizing the smartphone market. Apple has denied the claims and asked a judge to dismiss the case.
Read Swiss Privacy Tech Firm Proton Sues Apple in US Over App Store Rules.