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| Apple should allow third-party payment options in its store |
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said Apple must follow an order allowing developers to add links and buttons to third-party payment options by December 9. The company's proposal to suspend orders.
"Apple's proposal is based on a selective reading of this court's findings and ignores any findings supporting the ban," the new ban says.
The judge issued his order after a hearing on the antitrust lawsuit of game developer Fortnite Epic Games in 2020.
At the hearing, Apple said it needed more time to review its anti-routing policy, which prevents app developers from complying with payment methods and rules in the iOS App Store.
"This is the first time the company has allowed direct links to digital content in an app," said Apple's attorney, Mark Perry. It will take months to resolve technical, economic, commercial and other problems.
He added: “It is very complex. There must be firewalls and policies to protect children, developers, consumers and businesses. They must be written into guidelines that can be explained, implemented and enforced.
The company welcomed the ruling in the case, as the judge found that removing the iPhone maker for Fortnite from its business did not violate antitrust laws.
She said the company does not need to reactivate an Epic Games developer account. However, the company's anti-routing policy has been required to hide relevant information from users and request that it be removed.
Apple announces an appeal against the decision
Perry noted that the company made one of two necessary changes. In August, the class action brought the rule that restricted how developers could contact users via email.
However, the company describes in-app links as a unique threat to user trust and safety, saying they could allow developers to deceive users or send them to malicious websites.
“We believe in these changes, and if the company has to make them, they can change the platform,” Berry said. It hurts consumers and developers.
Epic Games treated Apple's request as a way to delay but made no real commitments to change it. "Apple will not do anything unless it is absolutely necessary," said Gary Bornstein, a lawyer for Epic Games.
The judge was skeptical of the lawsuit, as the company requested that the warnings be suspended indefinitely, although it was only hoping to have more time to assess the risks.
The judge said: She did not ask for an extension. I have applied for a ban that may last for several years. Berry responded that the company hoped to delay the change until the matter was resolved, and said he was confident it would win the appeal.
The judge is not affected. It noted that the company did not provide the court with reasonable grounds to believe that the injunction would cause the harm claimed. About the company's logic that adding external links to alternatives can cause this harm. The payment system is built into the application.
Apple announced that it will resume. He believes that no further changes to the business are required until all appeals in the case have been resolved.