Overview
- Britain’s Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled Apple abused a dominant position in iOS app distribution and in‑app payments, finding about half of developer overcharges were passed on to users.
- UK consumers who made paid app or in‑app purchases between October 1, 2015 and November 15, 2024 may be eligible for roughly £27–£75 each, with aggregate damages estimated at £1.184–£2.237 billion pending a November hearing on calculations and appeal permission.
- Apple said it will appeal the UK decision, calling the judgment a flawed view of a competitive app economy and emphasizing the App Store’s safety and developer benefits.
- In the United States, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers decertified a long‑running App Store antitrust class after finding the plaintiffs’ matching and damages model unreliable, citing errors such as treating “Robert Pepper” and “Rob Pepper” as different people and grouping more than 40,000 records under the first name “Kim.”
- With the U.S. class decertified, collective relief is on hold as plaintiffs review next steps and consider appeal, and any claims would otherwise need to be pursued individually.