A US district court found Apple guilty of engaging in anti-competitive behaviour covering the in-app purchasing policy of its App Store, dealing a major blow in a long-running battle [1] between the company and Fortnite developer Epic Games.
In the ruling today (10 September), the judge issued a permanent injunction which requires Apple to allow app-related purchases on iOS through payment methods other than the App Store, and notify users of alternative options.
The order takes effect in 90 days.
A trial heard evidence Apple used “anti-steering provisions” which hid “critical information from customers” regarding the payment structure of in-app purchases, and unlawfully stifled consumer choice, the court stated in its ruling.
Epic Games filed a lawsuit [2] against Apple in August 2020 after its hit gaming title Fortnite was removed from the App Store after the gaming company introduced a direct payment option which circumvented the iPhone maker’s 30 per cent commission.
The case led to a number of attacks against app store providers, including Google Play [3], and calls for a worldwide overhaul of their practices.
Last month, South Korea [4] became the first country in the world to require Google and Apple to open up their systems to alternative payment channels.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/fortnite-creator-apple-commence-battle-royal
[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/fortnite-creator-apple-commence-battle-royal
[3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/apps/news-apps/google-faces-900m-play-store-fees-challenge
[4] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/apps-home-banner/google-apple-slam-south-korea-app-store-payment-bill
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