Court Orders Apple to Stop Charging Third-Party App Commissions

A federal court has found Apple in violation of a 2021 injunction requiring it to ease App Store restrictions, particularly those related to in-app transactions and steering users to alternative payment options. Despite being ordered to allow developers to direct consumers to third-party payment systems, Apple continued to impose a 27% fee on such transactions and created new obstacles for developers trying to inform users about external payment methods. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers criticized Apple for willfully defying the court's order and for implementing measures specifically designed to maintain its lucrative and anticompetitive revenue stream. The ruling mandates that Apple must immediately stop charging commissions on purchases made outside the App Store and cannot limit how developers communicate alternative payment options to users. The judge also referred Apple to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt and accused an Apple executive of providing misleading testimony. Epic Games, the original plaintiff, has hailed the decision as a major win for developers and consumers.