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Fortnite maker Epic Games is not happy about how Apple intends to comply with a district court\u2019s injunction that permitted app developers to direct users to their own websites and payment platforms \u2014 a court order that came into effect following the Supreme Court\u2019s decision<\/a> to not hear the Apple antitrust case, leaving the current ruling to stand<\/a>. Though Apple had largely won the case, as the court decided it was not a monopolist, a judge ruled that app makers should be able to steer their customers to the web from links or buttons inside their apps, something that forced Apple to change its App Store rules<\/a>.<\/p>\n But Apple\u2019s compliance doesn\u2019t give app makers the victory they had hoped, as the tech giant aims to still charge commissions on purchases made outside of apps \u2014 a decision Epic aims to challenge in court.<\/p>\n According to statements made by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, shared on X, Apple\u2019s \u201cbad-faith\u201d compliance undermines the judge\u2019s order that would have allowed buttons or external links \u201cin addition to [in-app purchases.\u201d<\/p>\n The Ninth Circuit District Court had ruled on one count of out ten<\/a> in favor of Epic in its decision, finding that Apple violated California\u2019s Unfair Competition law. The decision meant Apple had to remove the \u201canti-steering\u201d clause from its agreement with App Store developers. This clause for years had prevented app developers from directing their customers to other ways to pay for in-app purchases or subscriptions from inside their apps, leading to confusing screens or broken features, where customers would have to figure out on their own how to make the necessary purchases from the developer\u2019s website.<\/p>\n Apple updated its App Store Guidelines following the Supreme Court\u2019s decision<\/a>\u00a0but with a lot of caveats. It said that developers would still have to pay a 27% cut on purchases, instead of 30%, and developers in Apple\u2019s Small Business Program or auto-renewing subscriptions in their second year would be reduced to 12%, instead of 15%. This 3 percentage point discount is similar to what Google is offering through its User Choice billing pilot program, which counts Spotify and Bumble among its early adopters.<\/a> In Google\u2019s case, it reduced the required commissions by 4%<\/a>. But these small discounts aren\u2019t enough to make alternative payment processing worthwhile for most developers who have to pay at least that much in payment processing fees, many have argued.<\/p>\n Sweeney agrees, noting in his post today, shared on X,<\/a> that developers aren\u2019t able to offer their digital items \u201cmore cheaply on the web after paying a third-party payment processor 3-6% and paying this new 27% Apple Tax.\u201d<\/p>\n Apple filed a bad-faith \u201ccompliance\u201d plan for the District Court\u2019s injunction. It totally undermines the order allowing \u201cbuttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to IAP\u201d.https:\/\/t.co\/ofbuMwe7SH<\/a><\/p>\n\n