They say great art reflects its time. When it comes to Apples business, just as the iMac and iPod matched the zeitgeist, the company must now develop its business to meet the complex demands of a divided, post-globalist world struggling with economic and climate insecurity. Apple should bear that in mind as it faces its latest regulatory nightmare, this time in China, where its practices concerning in-app purchases and external payment servicesface fresh scrutiny.Apple has been in disputes about in-app payments with big Chinese developers Tencent and ByteDance for some time. It argues that loopholes in their apps let them avoid the in-app commission it demands. With Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) commencing scrutiny of Apples business practices, regulators may advise Apple to make changes to its approach. And it faces the threat of a formal investigation if it resists those recommendations.Tension and mistrustBut this isnt just a business practice investigation. The scrutiny comes at a time of growing tension between China and the United States. The US has implemented tariffs on some Chinese imports, which China is expected to reciprocate. Apple is undeniably a proud US firm, and while it has a strong and mutually profitable business relationship in China, it continues to face challenges. In the US, tariffs directly threaten Apples business. Apple is stuck between a rock and a hard place.Apple has danced delicately around both nations so far, while also taking steps to protect its business from further disruption, principally through investing in new production centers and its growing services business. The biggest hardware change is to establish production in India, where around 25% of all iPhones sold worldwidewill be manufactured soon. China has pushed back against this strategy and has alreadydisrupted travelbetween China and India for key Foxconn engineers.That Apple now faces regulatory challenges in China is completely predictable in the circumstances, particularly as China recently began a similar investigationagainst Google. Scrutiny of Apples App Store business is, of course, far from being a China-only problem. Apple faces similar regulatory challenges now inmost major markets, with the EU and UK already leading the charge in terms offorcing platform decay through changed business practices.The fight for platform integritySo far, the company seems to have approached these challenges on a market-by-market basis. But that may not be the best long-term approach, as it runs the risk of fragmenting the companys business. Think about it fragmentation is inevitable as each nation will apply slightly different restrictions on business practices, generating friction for Apple, Apple developers, and Apple customers as each market adoptsdifferent approaches.This increases complexity at the risk of the user experience and platform integrity.With this in mind, it would perhaps be better now for Apple to embrace the inevitability of change and attempt to put together a set of core business practice proposals likely to be approved by most regulators. Doing so now would show fresh willingness to embrace change, while perhaps giving the company a chance to protect platform integrity.That integrity is currently being chipped away by regulators whoseem deaf to many of Apples arguments. It is inarguable that Apple is not prevailing, and while I am one of many who thinks many of its arguments are solid, those voices arent being heard.Its hard to ignore the political dimensions of these discussions, as one of the worlds biggest US companies sees parts of its business chipped away by various nations for many reasons: Europe, for example, wants to open the tech market up to create opportunity for European firms, while the UK doesnt seem to know what it wants, tending to the worst available approach, whilemuttering platitudes about growth.These ambitions seem to reflect an entirely different era of growth and of trade but those old iPod-eyed days are done. We are witnessing the old world struggle while a new one seeks to be born. Meanwhile, others work toexploit this insecurityfor their own benefit.Complex times, Complex discussionsFacing such complexity, Apple cannot be certain that it will prevail in defending its existing business models in the courts; laws have and will change in response to some of the global forces in play.Despite the strength of many Apple arguments, the company might well achieve better outcomes if it chooses to negotiate and embrace change, rather than remaining a victim of decisions reached by politically-led courts.Like it or not, (and many of us dont), the company needs a vision for the future of its business that better reflects the current zeitgeist, while also laying much-needed bricks in the road toward a better, perhaps more unified, age.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.