Apple disobeyed court command in dispute over App Store management
In the present scenario, tech giant Apple is facing some serious heat from a U.S. court for allegedly thumbing its nose at an order to loosen its grip on the App Store payment system to the point where criminal charges could potentially be on the table.
It all began when U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers slapped Apple with an injunction in 2021, following a trial that found Apple's tight control of the App Store didn't quite equate to a monopoly. However, it did conclude that Apple had to allow developers to include links to other online venues for buying content or services.
Fast forward to 2025, and it appears that Apple has been playing fast and loose with the court's order, erecting new barriers to competition, and even stretching the truth to the court. In her recent ruling, Gonzalez Rogers bluntly stated that Apple's calculated efforts to preserve a revenue stream worth billions was a "gross miscalculation."
Apple, in its usual stoic form, hasn't responded to requests for comment. On the other hand, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was quick to hail the ruling, dubbing Apple's excess fees as "dead" in the U.S., much like they are in Europe under the Digital Markets Act. Sweeney even extended an olive branch, dubbing it a "peace proposal," promising to drop current and future litigation on the matter if Apple extends the court's "Apple-tax-free framework" worldwide.
Interestingly, internal documents revealed Apple had paused compliance efforts after securing a temporary stay in 2021, then later decided to impose fees on external purchases – a move that clearly flouted the injunction's intent. Apple's VP of Finance, Alex Roman, is also said to have allegedly lied under oath about the company's knowledge of alternative payment costs and fee-setting process.
The judge isn't taking Apple's antics lying down and has called on the U.S. Attorney's office to investigate whether punitive criminal contempt sanctions against Apple are warranted "to punish past misconduct and deter future noncompliance."
[1] CNN Business. (2025, May 1). Apple hit with billions in fines and a potential criminal contempt charge over App Store practices. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/tech/apple-antitrust-fine/index.html
[2] The Verge. (2025, May 1). Apple's Project Michigan secretly hid plans to instate its App Store fees on third-party purchases. https://www.theverge.com/2025/5/1/23374210/apple-project-michigan-third-party-in-app-purchases-fees-ecr
[3] Axios. (2025, May 1). U.S. judge allows Epic Games to enforce App Store ruling against Apple, potentially opening way for new apps. https://www.axios.com/2025/05/01/epic-games-app-store-ruling-against-apple
- The world of finance could see a significant change as Apple faces billions in fines and a potential criminal contempt charge over its App Store practices, according to CNN Business.
- A closer look at Apple's internal documents reveals that the tech giant abruptly paused compliance efforts after securing a temporary stay in 2021, a move that The Verge states was later followed by imposing fees on external purchases, flouting the intent of the injunction.
- The tech world watched as Epic Games was granted permission by a U.S. judge to enforce the App Store ruling against Apple, potentially opening the door for new apps, as reported by Axios.
- Following a series of miscalculations, Apple's Vice President of Finance, Alex Roman, is accused of lying under oath about the company's knowledge of alternative payment costs and fee-setting process.
- In a move that could reshape the technology industry, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney extended an olive branch to Apple, offering to drop current and future litigation on the matter if Apple extends the court's "Apple-tax-free framework" worldwide, as reported by various media outlets.
