The court earlierturn downApple requirementspauseThe ruling allows users to access external websites for consumption through links within the app because it was deemed inappropriate after review.
Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge who heard the case, said that although Apple's ruling in the 2021 case filed by Epic Games allowed users to conduct in-app consumer transactions through third-party payment methods, it still charged up to 27% commission fees on the grounds of using its service platform resources. It even targeted links in the app that directed to external websites, and displayed "threatening" prompts that transactions through channels outside the App Store would face risks. Therefore, Apple was considered to have not fully complied with the court's ruling.
Therefore, in addition to rejecting Apple's request, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers also ruled that Apple must immediately stop charging additional fees for transactions linking to external websites within the app within the United States, and restricted Apple from formulating other rules to collect fees, or restricting developers from providing users with external payment buttons or link designs within the app.
Regarding the court's dismissal and ruling, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeny stated that the "Apple Tax," which impacted the interests of many developers, is now a thing of the past. Apple has yet to comment on this, but may provide further details during WWDC 2025.
Apple's stay is denied by the 9th Circuit Court. The long national nightmare of the Apple tax is ended.
May next week's WWDC be the Apple-led celebration of freedom that developers and users have long deserved. pic.twitter.com/f0A3IAVKNC
- Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 4, 2025
In order to further illustrate that its App Store has driven more economic growth, Apple recently stated that the App Store has preventedOver $90 billion in fraudulent transactions, and also cited a research report that the App Store will help global developers by 2024Generating $1.3 trillion in revenue and sales.
