From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-01 11:47:00

Apple is facing a possible criminal contempt probe after a U.S. judge ruled it violated an order to open its App Store to more competition and misled the court in a lawsuit brought by Epic Games. The judge accused Apple of “insubordination” and trying to cover up its decision-making process.

The judge said Apple must end practices designed to circumvent her injunction, including imposing a new 27% fee on app developers and using “scare screens” to deter consumers from using third-party payment options. Apple denied violating the court’s order.

The judge made a criminal contempt referral, alleging Apple sought to maintain a revenue stream worth billions in defiance of the injunction. She referred Apple and an executive to federal prosecutors for a possible investigation, citing internal records showing Apple knew what it was doing.

Apple can appeal the ruling and plans to ask the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the order. The appeal could move quickly, but Apple might face challenges given the extensive factual record in the case. After the 9th Circuit rules, either side can seek review from the U.S. Supreme Court.



Read more at Yahoo Finance: Explainer-What’s next for Apple after US court’s contempt order in Epic Games case?