Apple is asking a US court to freeze recent changes to its App Store rules while it appeals a landmark ruling that found it in contempt of a 2021 injunction stemming from its long-running legal battle with Epic Games.
The tech giant filed a motion this week arguing that complying with the new requirements, which prevent Apple from collecting up to 27% commission on purchases made outside the App Store, could cause “grave irreparable harm”.
The order also bars Apple from restricting how developers direct users to external payment platforms. Apple has since allowed apps like Spotify, Kindle and Patreon to link to external purchases, but the company is now seeking a stay while it appeals.
“Depriving Apple of control over core features of the App Store… profoundly undercut[s] the integrated iOS ecosystem,” Apple’s legal team argued in its motion.
The legal pressure doesn’t stop there. Apple is now facing a new class action lawsuit led by app developer Pure Sweat Basketball, alleging Apple’s defiance of the injunction cost developers the ability to sell directly to users, potentially impacting over 100,000 apps.
Meanwhile, Apple is also preparing to challenge a €500 million (A$878 million) fine from the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which accused the company of breaching rules around developer communication and external payments.
Apple claims the EU failed to provide clear guidance during compliance talks and “moved the goalposts.”
With ongoing litigation in both the US and Europe, Apple’s grip on its App Store policies is under unprecedented legal and regulatory scrutiny.
The appeals process could take months, if not years, to resolve, while developers and regulators push for broader reforms to the company’s app ecosystem.
Will this weaken Apple’s long-standing control over its “walled garden”? Time, and the courts, will tell.
