Court Prohibits Apple From Charging Fees on External Purchases

A U.S. federal court has ruled that Apple violated a previous injunction by imposing a 27% commission on purchases made outside its App Store, a move the court found anticompetitive and designed to maintain Apple's revenue stream. The judge criticized Apple for implementing barriers such as restrictive link placement, mandatory generic warnings, and 'scare screens' to dissuade users from choosing alternative payment methods. Apple was found to have acted willfully in defiance of the injunction, with internal testimony revealing executives prioritized commission revenue despite concerns about legal compliance. The court ordered Apple to immediately stop collecting commissions on out-of-app purchases and lift restrictions on how developers communicate alternative payment options to users. Apple stated it will comply with the order but intends to appeal the decision. As a result of the ruling, Epic Games announced plans to return Fortnite to the U.S. App Store.