Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Photo credit: TechCrunch, under Creative Commons license

Popular chat app Telegram is the latest company to file a formal antitrust complaint against Apple in the European Union, primarily concerned about the iPhone maker’s App Store fees and its prevention of Apple device owners from downloading apps from other sources. The formal antitrust complaint follows a guide recently penned by Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, where he outlined “7 Reasons Every iPhone User Should Be Worried About the App Store’s 30% Tax”. Among the reasons postulated include higher prices for consumers; censorship; lack of privacy; more ads in apps; delays in app updates; fewer apps, in general, being made; and “worse” apps being developed.

Telegram marks the third major company, after Spotify and Rakuten, to have filed formal complaints against Apple in the European Union, where the company is already facing antitrust investigations. Also, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, is also fresh off an antitrust hearing in the US, pointing towards possible antitrust probes into the company even there. Developers, in general, have often lashed out against Apple’s required 30% cut for app purchases made on its App Store nut Telegram’s case, however, seems to carry more weight, given its userbase of millions of iOS users.

Among its complaints, Telegram notes of Apple in 2016 having restricted it from launching a gaming platform within its app on the grounds that it went against App Store rules, with the company then having no choice but to shutter the venture rather than risk being restricted from the App Store. Telegram cites such a case as an example of Apple’s “monopolistic power” on the app market.

Despite facing increasing scrutiny over its App Store rules, Apple has repeatedly denied accusations of anti-competitive behavior. In the recent antitrust hearing attended by Apple, its CEO, Tim Cook, cited the company as believing “competition is a great virtue (which) promotes innovation” and that scrutiny of the App Store was “reasonable and appropriate” despite standing by the company’s business practices. It’s unclear if the complaints from Rakuten, Spotify, and now Telegram will hold much weight to trigger action from the European Union.