Apple Executive Accused of Lying Under Oath in Major Court Ruling
New York, Thursday, 1 May 2025.
A court ruled that Apple and an executive lied under oath in the Epic Games trial, potentially affecting Apple’s legal and public standing.
Background of the Legal Battle
The legal confrontation between Epic Games and Apple began in August 2020, centering around Apple’s App Store policies. Epic Games challenged Apple’s 30% revenue cut on in-app purchases and the restrictive nature of the App Store’s payment options. This dispute culminated in a trial presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, which took place in May 2021. The initial ruling in September 2021 favored Apple on most counts, yet chastised the company for its anti-steering provisions that hindered developers from informing users about external payment methods [2][3].
Violation of Court Order
On April 30, 2025, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple in ‘willful violation’ of a 2021 injunction. This injunction demanded that Apple allow developers to direct users to third-party purchasing options. The court established that Apple continued imposing unauthorized commissions on purchases facilitated through singular links, maintaining a range of 12-27%. This practice was deemed anticompetitive, and the ruling enforced Apple to eliminate any new commission or fees on off-app purchases [1][5].
Executive Accountability and Legal Implications
The court also cited Apple’s Vice President of Finance, Alex Roman, for lying under oath regarding the timing of a 27% fee imposition linked to the App Store. The false testimony by Roman and the company’s deliberate attempts to conceal compliance efforts from a 2023 meeting indicated systemic misconduct at Apple’s higher echelons. Consequently, Judge Rogers referred the case for potential criminal contempt proceedings against Apple, which could result in significant legal repercussions for the corporation and its executives [1][3][5].
Impact on Apple’s Business Operations
The ruling marks a considerable triumph for Epic Games and the broader developer community. It mandates Apple to stop charging commissions on purchases outside its app framework, thus reshaping how transactions can be conducted within iOS applications. Following this decision, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney confirmed that ‘Fortnite’ would return to the U.S. iOS App Store by May 8, 2025. This development forces Apple to engage in direct competition with alternative payment services, significantly altering its monopoly over the App Store’s payment ecosystem [1][3][4].