Apple, Execs Face Sanctions Over App Store Payments

A federal judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, found that Apple willfully violated a 2021 injunction by restricting developers from steering users to external payment options and collecting commissions on purchases made outside the App Store. The judge criticized Apple CEO Tim Cook and Vice President of Finance Alex Roman, accusing Roman of lying under oath, and referred both Apple and Roman to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt charges. The ruling prohibits Apple from charging any fees or commissions for purchases made outside its App Store and from interfering with developers' ability to direct users to third-party payment options. This decision is considered a major victory for Epic Games and app developers, with potential to bring substantial changes to the mobile app economy and threaten revenues for both Apple and Google. Apple has said it will comply with the order but intends to appeal. The outcome may reshape digital marketplace practices industry-wide.