Video-sharing app Rave filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple in U.S. federal court in New Jersey in May 2026, alleging the company was removed from the App Store to eliminate competition with Apple’s own SharePlay feature.
Ontario, Canada-based Rave, founded in 2013, makes an app that allows users to watch and discuss video content together across iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac. The app remains available on Android and Windows but was pulled from the App Store in 2025. Apple cited “dishonest or fraudulent activity” as the reason for the removal. Rave disputes that explanation, arguing Apple’s real motivation was competitive: Rave relied primarily on advertising revenue and did not generate commission income for Apple through in-app purchases, while directly competing with SharePlay, which Apple introduced in 2021.
Rave is seeking reinstatement to the App Store and “hundreds of millions of dollars” in damages.
“Apple’s pretextual removal of Rave from the App Store has harmed consumers significantly by limiting choice and effectively preventing Apple customers from co-viewing and connecting with non-Apple customers,” said Michael Pazaratz, CEO of Rave. “Apple’s actions denied users access to a product they enjoy, disrupted the communities built on Rave and impaired Rave’s ability to compete fairly based on the strength of its product.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rave also announced it has filed similar antitrust actions against Apple in Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil, broadening the legal pressure across multiple jurisdictions.
The lawsuit arrives as Apple continues to face antitrust scrutiny on other fronts. The company has been in a legal dispute with Fortnite developer Epic Games since 2020 over App Store commission practices — a case the U.S. Supreme Court sent back to federal court in California last week. The Rave case may add further weight to ongoing questions about Apple’s App Store policies and its treatment of third-party developers whose products compete with Apple’s own offerings.
Source: Tech-Economic Times