Apple Faces Developer Lawsuit After Judge’s Contempt Ruling on App Store Policies

Apple is facing a new class-action lawsuit from app developers who claim the company knowingly defied a U.S. federal court order by continuing to impose inflated commissions on external purchases, violating a 2021 injunction meant to reform its App Store policies. The suit, filed by Pure Sweat Basketball in a California federal court, seeks compensation on behalf of as many as 100,000 developers who allegedly lost out on revenue due to Apple’s noncompliance. The complaint follows an April 30 ruling by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who found Apple in willful contempt for failing to comply with her earlier order in the high-profile case brought by Epic Games. That injunction required Apple to allow app developers more freedom to steer users toward payment methods outside of the App Store. Instead, Apple introduced a new 27% fee on such transactions, a move the court said undermined the spirit of the ruling. Limited Compliance and Alleged Obstruction Pure Sweat claims Apple’s conduct resulted in "hundreds of millions or even billions" of dollars in developer losses. The complaint argues that Apple “schemed to maintain the status quo,” preserving its dominant position and revenue stream from in-app purchases, while offering only limited compliance with the court’s directive. Developers say Apple restricted them to a single external link and allegedly used warning messages to deter users from completing purchases outside the App Store. The lawsuit also details how Apple blocked Pure Sweat from launching an educational app that included external purchase links. According to the developers, Apple’s actions forced them to pay steep commissions and restricted customer choice, harming both competition and innovation. The legal filing, led by attorneys Steve Berman of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro and Eamon Kelly of Sperling Kenny Nachwalter, seeks to hold Apple financially accountable for violating the court’s order. The lawsuit demands restitution for all U.S. developers who offered paid in-app content between January 17, 2024—when the injunction took effect—and the date Apple fully complies. Broader Implications for Apple’s App Store Policies Only 34 out of 136,000 developers adopted Apple’s permitted external payment link under the new policy, suggesting that Apple’s compliance efforts were ineffective or intentionally obstructive. Apple has denied any wrongdoing and filed an appeal. Judge Gonzalez Rogers has referred Apple and one of its executives to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt. Meanwhile, Apple continues to face mounting scrutiny over its App Store policies from both private developers and government agencies.