Apple Abandons 30% Fee on External Links

It's another day in the ongoing Epic vs Apple saga, which many thought had concluded long ago. However, the latest developments suggest that Apple may be forced to abandon its controversial 30% commission on links to alternative payment methods outside the App Store.

What does this mean for consumers? Essentially, Apple is now decisively the loser in the original Epic vs Apple case, which began when Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, allowed Fortnite players to make in-app purchases directly from Epic, offering a significant discount. This move sparked the legal battle.

Previously, Apple had to eliminate fees and other restrictions on external linking within the EU, but the US had been more favorable towards Apple. Now, however, Apple is prohibited from doing the following:

• Imposing fees on purchases made outside an app
• Restricting developers' placement or formatting of links
• Limiting the use of 'calls to action' (e.g., banners indicating potential savings)
• Excluding certain apps or developers
• Interfering with consumer choice through 'scare screens'
• Using anything other than 'neutral messaging' to inform users they are navigating to a third-party site

While Epic may have lost some battles, it appears to have won the war. Apple intends to appeal the decision, but overturning the judges' rulings seems unlikely.

With the Epic Games Store for mobile now established on Android and iOS in the EU, and on Android in the US, it may only be a matter of time before the iOS App Store's dominance wanes.