A U.S. appeals court has upheld a federal court’s order that could force Apple to change payment practices in its App Store, reports Reuters.
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeal upheld a 2021 order in an antitrust case brought by “Fortnite” creator Epic Games that could require Apple to allow developers to provide links and buttons for third-party in-app payment options and thereby avoid paying sales commissions to the iPhone maker.
In a 185-page ruling in September 2021, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said “the Court cannot ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist under either federal or state antitrust laws,” but she said the trial “did show that Apple is engaging in anticompetitive conduct under California’s competition laws.” Rogers concluded that “Apple’s anti-steering provisions hide critical information from consumers and illegally stifle consumer choice.”
Apple has appealed the ruling.
