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2h ago

Apple Held in Contempt for Violating App Store Antitrust Order

A federal judge found Apple in willful violation of a 2021 injunction, referring the company and its finance executive for possible criminal charges.

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An Apple logo is seen at the entrance of an Apple Store in downtown Brussels, Belgium March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Yves Herman
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Overview

  • Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple deliberately defied a court order requiring it to allow third-party payment links in apps.
  • Apple imposed a 27% fee on external transactions and used tactics like 'scare screens' to deter users from non-App Store purchases, violating the injunction's intent.
  • The court referred Apple and its Vice President of Finance, Alex Roman, to federal prosecutors for potential criminal contempt, citing misleading testimony.
  • Effective immediately, Apple is barred from charging commissions on off-App Store purchases and from restricting developers' communication with users.
  • Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney proposed dropping all litigation and returning Fortnite to the iOS App Store if Apple adopts a global, no-commission framework.