Apple and Google Face New Legal and Regulatory Pressures Over App Store Payments

In the latest development of the long-running Epic Games v. Apple antitrust case, Apple has proposed a new fee structure that would allow it to collect commissions on digital purchases made through external links that bypass its in-app purchase system. Epic has objected, calling the proposal "far outside of the bounds" of the court's prior rulings. The filing is part of ongoing litigation over how much Apple should receive from transactions that occur outside the App Store but still involve apps distributed through it.

Separately, a federal judge ordered Google to make it easier for users to install rival app stores on Android devices. The order, issued by Judge James Donato in the same San Francisco courtroom where Epic and Google had recently appeared to settle their dispute, comes nearly three years after a jury found Google's app store practices anticompetitive. The ruling is intended to increase competition in Android app distribution by lowering barriers for alternative storefronts.

These actions highlight continued judicial scrutiny of major tech platforms' payment and distribution policies. Both Apple and Google face pressure to adjust their business models as courts and regulators seek to open up app ecosystems to more competition.