Apple sued for removing a co-viewing app from App Store
What's the story
Rave, a popular cross-platform service that allows users to watch movies and TV shows together, has filed multiple antitrust lawsuits against Apple. The legal action comes after the tech giant removed the Rave app from its App Store in August 2025. Rave alleges that Apple cited "unspecified allegations of fraud and vague concerns about content moderation" as reasons for the removal.
Competition concerns
Rave accuses Apple of trying to eliminate competition
Rave claims that Apple removed the app to eliminate competition with its own service, SharePlay. The company alleges that Apple is trying to monopolize the market for smartphone co-viewing services. Further, Rave also claims that Apple falsely flagged the Rave Mac app as malware, blocking Mac users from downloading it.
Service limitations
Rave has developed 'industry-leading' content moderation technologies
In response to Apple's content moderation concerns, Rave claims it has developed "industry-leading" content moderation and age verification technologies. The service, which was available on iOS, Mac, Android, and Windows platforms, is now limited to Windows and Android devices after Apple's crackdown. Founded in 2016, Rave allows users to watch content together remotely with built-in discussion features.
Service comparison
What's the difference between Rave and SharePlay?
Apple's SharePlay service, launched in 2021, also allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to watch and discuss TV shows, movies, and music. However, unlike Rave which offered a cross-platform collaborative viewing experience on Android and Windows devices as well, SharePlay is only available on Apple devices. This gave Rave an edge over its competitor in terms of platform accessibility.
Global lawsuits
Lawsuits have been filed in multiple countries
Rave has filed antitrust lawsuits not just in the US but also in Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands, and Russia. The company is seeking to have its apps reinstated on iOS and macOS platforms and recover damages for their removal from the App Store. As of now, Apple has not commented on either the lawsuit or the removal of Rave's app from its platform.