Apple Will Comply With Court's Ban on Web Purchase Fees, Plans to Appeal

Apple has responded to a federal court ruling that found it in willful violation of a 2021 injunction prohibiting anticompetitive App Store practices, including the imposition of fees on web purchases made outside its platform. In a statement sent to The Verge, Olivia Dalton, Apple's senior director of corporate communications, said, "We strongly disagree with the decision. We will comply with the court's order and we will appeal."

The response follows a scathing 80-page order issued by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who held Apple in civil contempt and imposed strict new permanent restrictions on the company's App Store policies. The court found that Apple's 27% commission on external purchases—where previously no commission existed—violated both the letter and spirit of the original injunction, and was part of a calculated strategy to maintain its anticompetitive revenue stream.

Judge Rogers described Apple's behavior as "thwarting the Injunction's goals," stating that the company had knowingly imposed new barriers to developer communication, including mandated use of generic language, full-screen warnings, and static links designed to "increase friction and increase breakage rates."


The court determined that Apple "knew exactly what it was doing" and "at every turn chose the most anticompetitive option." Internal documents and testimony revealed that Vice President of Finance Alex Roman "outright lied under oath," while Apple CEO Tim Cook sided with finance executives who recommended preserving commission revenue, despite concerns from Apple Fellow Phil Schiller that the approach may violate the court's order.

"This is an injunction, not a negotiation," the ruling stated, ordering Apple to cease all attempts to impose fees on out-of-app purchases and to remove restrictions on how developers present links, language, and buttons that lead users to external payment methods. The court also referred Apple and Roman to federal prosecutors to determine whether criminal contempt charges are warranted.

Apple's appeal signals the company's intent to keep fighting, even as it moves to comply under legal pressure.

More developments are likely to follow as the case continues to evolve. Stay informed by downloading the iClarified app or following iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS.