Apple says Epic Games is trying to get “free ride” on iOS platform

Apple accused Epic Games of seeking a free ride as Australia’s Federal Court signaled it will likely require Apple to permit sideloading on iPhones, with remedies still pending. The dispute now turns on whether Epic can distribute apps outside the App Store without paying any commission to Apple, a point that goes to the heart of how iOS distribution and monetization work.



Court indications and filings in Australia show judges accepted that Apple’s App Store offers privacy and security benefits, while also suggesting Apple cannot block users who choose to sideload apps. In parallel, US court records frame the broader fight, including findings that shape today’s arguments over Apple’s right to charge for use of its intellectual property.



Apple sharpened its position with a statement that casts Epic’s ask as fundamentally unfair to the platform. “Epic is now asking to free ride on Apple’s platform and dismantle every safeguard we’ve put in place to protect users and developers — a request that goes well beyond the Court’s ruling. We will continue to seek an outcome that respects our intellectual property and protects the safe, secure experience consumers and developers expect from our platform.”



The company also argues that sideloading would weaken protections against scams, privacy threats, and malware that could compromise devices.



How we reached this moment



US proceedings established the current battlefield, according to the trial record and subsequent orders. Apple largely prevailed on antitrust claims, yet the court required it to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment channels without Apple taking a cut. Apple then announced it would still collect a commission on outside transactions, prompting more litigation over whether those terms complied with the order.



The judge later found Apple had flouted their ruling, determined that testimony crossed the line, and referred the matter for criminal investigation according to the court’s findings. Fortnite returned to the US App Store and quickly climbed the charts, while both companies kept pressing their arguments across jurisdictions.



The remedy fight in Australia



Epic wants the Australian court to require sideloading with no commission, citing the court’s view that Apple cannot block alternative distribution if users want it. Apple counters that the court already recognized its right to charge for use of its intellectual property, therefore a zero-commission sideloading regime would be inconsistent with that recognition.



What happens next determines how you pay for mobile games and how developers reach you on iPhone. The court still must set remedies, and both sides now treat Australia as a pivotal venue that could reset the commercial rules for iOS distribution.

nmap -sV --script vuln -p- <target-network>

tail -f /var/log/suricata/fast.log | grep <cve>

Check Vendor Security Advisory Bulletin

title: Detect Exploitation - Apple says Epic Games is trying to get “free ride” on iOS platform
id: 1283e552-3af0-44f4-a17c-0411e14fcd5d
status: experimental
description: Automatisch generierte SIEM-Erkennungsregel basierend auf CTI Intelligence
references:
  - https://tsecurity.de/
author: iShareStuff CTI Automated Detection Engine
date: 2026-09-24
logsource:
  category: network_connection
  product: any
detection:
  selection:
      CommandLine|contains:
        - 'exploit'
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Legitime administrative Zugriffe oder Penetrationstests
level: high
tags:
  - attack.initial_access

rule CTI_Threat_Indicator {
    meta:
        author = "iShareStuff CTI Automated Detection Engine"
        date = "2026-09-24"
        description = "YARA Signature for "
    strings:
        $str = "Apple says Epic Games is tryin" ascii wide
    condition:
        any of them
}

index=security sourcetype IN ("cisco:asa", "pan:traffic", "zeek_conn", "suricata", "WinEventLog:Security")
("Apple says Epic Games is trying to get f")
| stats count earliest(_time) as first_seen latest(_time) as last_seen by src_ip, dest_ip, dest_host, signature
| eval first_seen=strftime(first_seen, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"), last_seen=strftime(last_seen, "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")
| sort - count

message: "*Apple says Epic Games is trying to get f*"

CommonSecurityLog
| where Message has "Apple says Epic Games is trying to get f"
| summarize EventCount = count(), FirstSeen = min(TimeGenerated), LastSeen = max(TimeGenerated) by SourceIP, DestinationIP, DestinationPort, Activity
| extend DetectionRule = "iShareStuff-CTI-Compiled"
| sort by EventCount desc