Judge orders Apple to dismantle App Store payment restrictions

The court’s decision effectively strips Apple of its ability to collect commissions on purchases made outside of its own ecosystem. Judge Gonzalez Rogers did not mince words regarding the company’s history of non-compliance, accusing Apple of “insubordination” following its failure to adhere to a previous 2021 injunction. The judge took the extraordinary step of referring the matter to the U.S. attorney to investigate potential criminal contempt proceedings, labeling Apple’s defiance a “gross miscalculation.”

Under the new order, Apple is prohibited from imposing fees on external transactions, restricting how developers format links to third-party sites, or limiting the use of buttons that steer users away from the App Store. While Apple senior director Olivia Dalton confirmed the company will comply with the immediate order, she reiterated that they plan to appeal the decision. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and industry partners like Spotify have hailed the ruling as a landmark victory for developer autonomy, signaling a fundamental shift in how the App Store operates.