Second, Apple will soon lose the ability to charge developers exorbitant fees for including external payment links in their apps. This upcoming transition will affect how consumers are able to pay their bills. In her ruling Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers created a historic precedent. This ruling found that Apple was in “willful violation” of a 2021 injunction meant to curtail anticompetitive pricing practices.
That April ruling in favor of Epic Games cuts to the heart of Apple’s revenue model. Until now, Apple was making a huge amount of money from its App Store, which raked in $1.3 trillion in gross app billings and sales in 2024. About 90% of this revenue didn’t even generate commission income for the tech behemoth. For Apple, the court’s ruling could be a big blow to their estimated $1 billion per year in revenues. Developers will finally be able to encourage customers to use cheaper forms of payment, allowing them to save on additional costs.
As Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games and frequent proponent of creators’ rights, has recently warned about the implications of this ruling. On June 4, 2025, he tweeted, “The long national nightmare of Apple tax is over.” It was obvious how excited he was about this potential new shift in app store payment dynamics. His sentiments are shared by many who are looking forward to greater competition in the app marketplace.
Besides these significant advances, the court further underscored its position by taking the affirmative step of. The ruling stated, “Apple bears the burden of showing that the circumstances justify an exercise of [our] discretion.” Furthermore, the court noted, “After reviewing the relevant factors, we are not persuaded that a stay is appropriate,” thus solidifying its decision against Apple.
Apple has not returned any comments on the ruling or its anticipated effect on their bottom line. As developers start navigating this new landscape, the extent of the fallout for the company is discussed by industry analysts.
Ivan, a writer covering global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch, notes the significance of this ruling for developers and consumers alike. He stresses that when done right, this brings about more competitive pricing. Alternative payment solutions are likely to develop as aggrieved developers continue seeking their own innovative solutions to traditional app store approaches.
As this situation unfolds, stakeholders will be closely monitoring Apple’s response and how developers adapt to the changes brought about by the court’s ruling.
