Published on June 30, 2025
Earlier today, Proton filed court papers in the US District Court for the Northern District of California to join an existing class-action lawsuit against Apple. Proton is a plaintiff in the case, but we are representing and suing on behalf of a class of similarly situated developers. Challenging one of the most powerful corporations in the history of capitalism is not a decision we make lightly, but Proton has long championed online freedom, privacy, and security, and we believe this action is necessary to ensure the internet of the future lives up to its potential.
Why are we doing this now?
Apple’s App Store policies have long been considered anti-competitive and illegal in many jurisdictions around the world. Most recently, on April 22, the European Commission found Apple to be in breach(new window) of European competition law and fined it €500 million for violations. On April 30, as part of the Epic Games v. Apple case, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple willfully defied a court order(new window) and created new anti-competitive barriers. The company’s misconduct was so extreme that the judge referred Apple to the US attorney for potential criminal prosecution. This comes on the heels of other countries around the world recognizing the need to reform Apple’s anti-competitive behavior, including the UK(new window), Brazil(new window), the Netherlands(new window), and South Korea(new window).
We believe that Apple’s conduct, as detailed in the complaint we filed, constitutes further violations of US antitrust law. Without this case, Apple could get away with behavior in the US that is already outlawed in the European Union. If this were to happen, American consumers, and developers focused on the American market, would have to pay higher prices for fewer choices, and be left at a disadvantage.
There is also urgency to act now because of a parallel class-action suit(new window) by app developers against Apple on May 23, and any settlement there could be binding on all other developers. By joining that lawsuit, we can ensure that this suit will not only be about monetary damages to compensate app developers for the harm caused by Apple’s conduct, but also changes to App Store policies that will improve the state of the internet. We are seeking to permanently end anti-competitive behavior on the App Store, and we are joining this lawsuit to ensure that any future settlement enforces real changes to Apple’s practices and policies to benefit all consumers, developers, and competition, and not just cosmetic changes.
While the suit does seek monetary damages on behalf of all developers who have been harmed in order to deter future anti-competitive behavior and provide compensation to class members harmed by Apple’s anti-competitive conduct, Proton will donate any money we receive from the lawsuit to organizations fighting for democracy and human rights so that some portion of Apple’s profits made from countries with authoritarian regimes are redirected to freedom. These donations will be coordinated through the nonprofit Proton Foundation, which oversees Proton and ensures that our work always prioritizes the public good over financial gain.
What is at stake?
Apple’s monopoly control of software distribution on iOS devices presents a myriad of problems for consumers, businesses, and society as a whole. Anti-monopoly laws exist because the power gifted by monopoly status inevitably leads to abuse. In the case of oligarchic tech giants, these abuses have wide implications for society, and it’s vital to the future of the internet that they be addressed now.
The App Store policies hurt privacy
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