Apple has been found in violation of a court order concerning its App Store anti-steering rules by a U.S. federal judge, who took the unusual measure of referring the company to federal prosecutors for a potential criminal contempt investigation.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, in a ruling dated April 30, declared that Apple intentionally ignored a previous injunction aimed at giving developers more freedom to guide users toward alternative payment options outside the App Store. The judge stated Apple acted “with the express intent to create new anticompetitive barriers” and that its arguments “strain credulity.”
The judge’s decision sharply criticized the iPhone maker’s compliance efforts, adding, “That it thought this court would tolerate such insubordination was a gross miscalculation.” The ruling further alleged that Apple Vice-President of Finance, Alex Roman, “outright lied under oath” during testimony about the company’s decision-making process.
The immediate effect of the order is a ban on Apple imposing any commission or fee on purchases consumers make through external links developers provide in their apps, and it prevents Apple from restricting how developers communicate these options, including link placement and visual style.
Apple’s Rejected Compliance Plan and Internal Dissent
The violation finding centers on Apple’s response to the original 2021 injunction, which stemmed from its legal battle with Epic Games over California’s Unfair Competition Law. Epic had filed the motion in March 2024 asking Judge Rogers to find Apple in non-compliance.
Apple’s plan, now deemed insufficient, involved allowing developers a single external link but sought to charge a 12-27% commission on purchases made via that link within seven days. Court documents revealed internal disagreement over this approach; Apple Fellow Phil Schiller, who oversees the App Store, testified in February 2025 that he had initially opposed the commission structure, worrying it would create an “antagonistic relationship” with developers.
Responding to the April 30th ruling, an Apple spokesperson stated: “We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court’s order and we will appeal.”
Echoes of European Enforcement
Just days before this U.S. ruling, on April 23, the European Commission imposed its first-ever fines under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), hitting Apple with a €500 million penalty for breaching identical anti-steering provisions within the EU.
The Commission determined Apple’s rules hindered developers and prevented consumers from finding potentially better deals, requiring Apple to remove the offending restrictions within 60 days or face further penalties. Apple contested the EU fine as well, calling it unfair targeting. The EU action itself followed reported delays apparently linked to sensitive US-EU trade negotiations.
The DMA forced Apple to make broad changes to iOS in Europe, including allowing alternative app marketplaces. However, Apple simultaneously introduced new fees, like the Core Technology Fee (CTF), charging €0.50 per install over one million annually for apps distributed outside the main App Store, a move developers argued created significant financial barriers.
Epic Games Continues the Fight
Epic Games has consistently argued that fees like the CTF undermine regulations designed to promote competition. In January 2025, while expanding its own EU iOS game store, Epic announced it would temporarily cover the CTF for developers in its free games program. Following the favorable US ruling, CEO Tim Sweeney extended an olive branch, proposing that if Apple applied the court’s “friction-free, Apple-tax-free framework worldwide,” Epic would return Fortnite to the App Store globally and cease related litigation.
The original 2021 injunction remained in place after the US Supreme Court declined to hear appeals from both Apple and Epic in January 2024. While Apple won on most counts in that initial trial, the anti-steering component under California law was upheld, leading to the current finding of non-compliance.
