Overview
- U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers reversed her February 2024 certification that had allowed certain Apple account holders to sue as a group.
- The court excluded the plaintiffs’ expert after finding his methodology for matching Apple payor records to consumers unreliable and error‑ridden.
- Examples cited in the ruling included treating “Rob Pepper” and “Robert Pepper” as different people and combining more than 40,000 records for payors who only shared the first name “Kim.”
- The court concluded that without a dependable damages model, questions about who was harmed would dominate, so the requirements for a class action were not met.
- Apple said it was pleased with the decision and highlighted App Store safety investments, while plaintiffs’ counsel expressed disappointment and said they are reviewing next steps.