Apple is asking a federal appeals court to overturn a judge's previous finding that it "willfully" ignored an order to let developers link to cheaper payment options outside the App Store.
Apple and Epic are headed back to court, again. And, once again, Apple is contesting the 2021 ruling demanding it allow outside links to cheaper payment options.
The ruling wasn't enforced until 2024. When Apple did implement a system to allow external links, the system was considered prohibitively complicated by those who attempted to use it.
In April 2025, the court found Apple "willfully" violated US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers' order to open its App Store to alternative payment methods.
It would be that confusion that would ultimately bring Apple back to the courts. And, as Bloomberg reports, Apple is back before a US federal appeals court, contesting that order.
Apple and Epic have been duking it out for five years. The fight began in 2020 when Epic willfully ignored Apple's App Store and provided an in-app link to an outside payment platform.
