U.S. Judge Says Apple Violated Court Order to Reform App Store

Apple’s back in hot water with the courts, and this time it’s about how they run the App Store. On Wednesday, a federal judge in California ruled that Apple violated a previous order that was supposed to make the App Store more open-especially when it comes to payment options for app developers. This ongoing legal battle, mostly with Epic Games (the folks behind Fortnite), just took a pretty dramatic turn.

Apple Accused of Ignoring the Rules

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers didn’t mince words in her ruling. She said Apple basically ignored the court’s order, which was meant to let developers point users toward alternative payment methods, not just Apple’s own system. “Apple’s continual efforts to stifle competition will not be tolerated,” she said. She even went so far as to say that once a company decides to ignore a court order, there’s no second chance.

What’s pretty unusual is that the judge also referred the case to federal prosecutors. She wants them to look into possible criminal contempt, especially regarding Alex Roman, Apple’s VP of Finance, whose testimony she called “riddled with falsehoods and evasions.” So far, Apple hasn’t made any public statement about the ruling.

Epic Games Celebrates, Fortnite Might Return

Over at Epic Games, they’re celebrating. Tim Sweeney, Epic’s CEO, called it a huge win for both developers and consumers. He says this decision will finally force Apple to allow real competition, instead of blocking other payment options. Sweeney even hinted that Fortnite could be back on the App Store as soon as next week, after being kicked off back in 2020 over this exact payment issue.

A Long-Running Fight

Just to recap, Epic Games has been accusing Apple of abusing its power over the App Store by charging high commissions (up to 30% on every purchase) and blocking developers from offering alternative payment methods. Back in 2021, Judge Gonzalez Rogers already sided with Epic on some points, ordering Apple to give developers more freedom.

But Apple dragged its feet, even trying to get the Supreme Court to overturn the decision, which didn’t work. To make things worse, Apple introduced a new 27% fee for purchases made outside the App Store, and started showing warning messages to discourage users from using other payment methods. Epic called this “commercially unusable.”

What Happens Next?

The judge was clear: Apple has to immediately stop blocking developers from communicating with users about other payment options, and can’t enforce its new 27% fee on external purchases. She also refused to put her order on hold, saying Apple’s repeated delays and the seriousness of the situation just don’t justify it.

Now it’s up to federal authorities to decide if Apple should face criminal contempt charges for ignoring the court. In the meantime, Apple will have to rethink how it runs the App Store, or risk even harsher penalties down the line.

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