IT Home On May 10, according to Reuters, software development company Rave filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday, accusing the iPhone maker of removing Rave's video-sharing app from the Apple App Store after launching a competing feature called "SharePlay."

Rave, headquartered in Ontario, Canada, has filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, seeking to restore its app's availability on the Apple App Store and claiming hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

Apple said in a statement: "We deny these baseless allegations. The Rave app was removed for repeatedly violating platform rules, and we have informed the developer multiple times. Violations include hosting and distributing pornographic and pirated content, as well as user reports of issues related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM)."

In response to Apple's claims, a Rave spokesperson issued an official statement, calling the allegations regarding CSAM unfounded. The company stated it has zero tolerance for any illegal or exploitative harmful content and accused Apple of removing a cross-platform competitor from the App Store without a fair and transparent process to secure monopoly profits.

Founded in 2013, Rave's app allows users to watch and discuss video content across Apple iOS, Android, Windows, and Apple Mac computers. The app is still available on Android and Windows platforms.

In the lawsuit, Rave claims Apple removed its app in 2025 on the grounds of alleged "dishonest or fraudulent conduct." Rave argues that the real reason for the removal is that it primarily relies on advertising revenue, does not generate in-app purchase commissions for Apple, and directly competes with Apple's SharePlay feature launched in 2021.

Rave CEO Michael Pazaratz said in a press release: "Apple's removal of the Rave app from the App Store under pretext severely harms consumer rights, limits user choice, and effectively blocks Apple device users from synchronizing viewing and social interaction with non-Apple device users."

"This move by Apple not only deprives users of the right to use their preferred product and disrupts the user community built around Rave, but also hinders Rave from competing fairly in the market based on product strength."

IT Home notes that since 2020, Apple has been embroiled in an antitrust dispute with Fortnite developer Epic Games, focusing on Apple's business model of taking a cut from in-app purchases. That case has also forced Apple to make extensive adjustments to its business model. The U.S. Supreme Court last week sent the case back to a California federal court for retrial.

Rave also revealed that it has filed similar antitrust lawsuits against Apple in Canada, Russia, the Netherlands, and Brazil.

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