Apple has been reprimanded by a US judge for ignoring a court order related to the Epic Games lawsuit. The judge demands immediate compliance and has referred the case to authorities for potential criminal prosecution of an Apple executive accused of lying under oath.
The case stems from a 2021 ruling where Apple was found to stifle competition by charging a 30% commission on App Store purchases. The judge ruled that Apple must allow app developers to inform users about alternative payment options outside the App Store.
However, Apple's implementation included warnings to deter users from leaving the App Store and imposed a 27% commission on external purchases, which the judge deemed non-compliant. The court ordered Apple to cease these practices immediately.
Additionally, an Apple executive may face criminal charges for allegedly misleading testimony about the timing of the 27% commission decision.
In Europe, Apple was recently fined €500 million for similar anti-competitive practices.