Tinder owner Match (MTCH) is urging the Indian authorities to fine tech giant Apple (AAPL) because it claims that its app fees could batter its revenues in the growing online dating market.
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Don’t Discriminate
Match has told the Competition Commission of India that an Apple fee of up to 30% in India is ‘discriminatory,’ and that hefty fines are needed to protect its business.
Tinder is one of the biggest players in the Indian dating app market, which will be worth an estimated $1.42 billion by 2030, according to advisory firm MarketNtel.
Since 2022, Match has been locked in an antitrust battle with Apple at the Competition Commission, where investigators last year issued a report saying the U.S. smartphone firm had engaged in “abusive conduct” on the apps market of its iPhone Operating System, iOS.
Apple has denied wrongdoing and said it is a small player in India where phones mostly use Google’s Android system.
According to Reuters, in a response to the CCI investigators’ findings, Match urged the watchdog to issue final directives asking Apple to discontinue its anti-competitive practices.
Stifle Growth
“Apple’s policies adversely affect the return on capital and revenue streams of Match’s portfolio brands,” Match said. “In the long term, the constraints and excessive fee imposed by Apple will stifle the growth and scalability of Match’s portfolio brands.”
Match said that Uber’s (UBER) ride-hailing app was classified by Apple as providing physical goods, and was charged lower commission than Tinder, which is treated as providing digital services.
“Tinder and Uber both offer matchmaking services in essence,” Match said in its filing.
Apple’s smartphone base has become four times larger in the last five years in India. Its iOS powered an estimated 4.5% of 735 million smartphones in India as of mid-2025, with the rest using Android.
The CCI has powers to fine Apple up to 10% of its global average turnover for the last three financial years.
Apple recently reached a new milestone in India, with annual sales hitting nearly $9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 2025, up 13% from $8 billion the previous year. The increase was driven mainly by strong demand for iPhones. MacBook demand also picked up, adding to momentum.
The results show India is becoming a key market at a time when Apple faces slowing smartphone demand in other regions such as China because of stiffer competition. However, as seen above it is still a small part of overall revenues.
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