Apple Faces Antitrust Suit Amidst Ongoing Battle With Epic Games
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and 17 state attorneys general recently filed a massive lawsuit against tech giant Apple, accusing the company of engaging in monopolistic smartphone practices. This comes amidst ongoing legal battles involving Apple’s iOS App Store and allegations of antitrust violations from companies such as Epic Games.
Epic Games, creator of popular game Fortnite, has accused Apple’s iOS App Store of antitrust violations for years. Although Epic Games is not explicitly mentioned in the 88-page lawsuit, its concerns regarding the App Store’s anticompetitive practices are reflected throughout the document. “Apple often enforces its App Store rules arbitrarily,” the suit states. One of Epic’s primary complaints is that developers are required to give Apple a 30% cut of in-app purchases, while Android devices allow for sideloading apps, thus granting Apple control over its App Store.
Among those supporting Epic Games is Spotify, which called Apple’s compliance plan “extortion” and a “total farce.” In March, Apple was fined €1.84 billion for breaching antitrust rules related to music streaming services. The Coalition for App Fairness (CAF), which includes Epic Games, Spotify, Deezer, Proton, and other companies, issued a statement in support of the DOJ’s actions against Apple.
As the DOJ takes a stance against Apple’s alleged stranglehold on the mobile app ecosystem, attention remains focused on whether regulatory measures will successfully address the numerous concerns raised by competitors and developers alike. Despite being typically vocal on these matters, Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney has remained silent on the subject.
