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Another Regulator Pushes Apple to Open Up
Two days after the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) issued an ultimatum over iPhone NFC payment access and high fees, an Australian court has ordered Apple to open its iOS ecosystem. Epic Games, Apple’s long-time opponent, used the moment to announce that Fortnite will return to the Australian App Store.
The Australian App Store ruling runs to 1,104 paragraphs. It borrows from the EU’s approach to forcing Apple open. Moreover, it adds strict clauses against the “malicious compliance” tactics that critics say Apple used elsewhere. Examples include a Core Technology Fee in disguise and scary pop-ups that push users away from outside payments.
Apple strongly disagrees. It says it will appeal and seek a stay.
Fortnite Ends Its Australian Wait
Fortnite began returning to iOS markets around the world in May of last year. Australia was the exception. Epic explained at the time that the two sides were still fighting in an Australian court. Apple also kept enforcing terms that the court had preliminarily found unlawful. So Epic chose to wait for a final judgment.
After the Federal Court ruled fully in Epic’s favor, Epic announced on X that Fortnite is coming back to the Australian App Store. It called the news great for developers worldwide and for iOS users in Australia, who will gain from an open mobile app ecosystem.
What the Federal Court Orders
The 1,104-paragraph judgment is detailed and targeted. It seems to block in advance the technical workarounds Apple used in the EU, the US, and the UK. The court issued these core orders:
Open Third-Party Stores and Direct Downloads
Apple must open iOS to third-party app stores without unreasonable conditions. Users must also be able to download apps directly from developers.
No Hidden Fees
In the EU, Apple opened third-party stores but charged a Core Technology Fee and other platform fees. The Australian court wrote an exclusion into its order. Apple may not charge excessive fees, or set harsh conditions, for developers who use third-party stores or outside payments.
Outside Payments and Links Allowed
Developers can offer alternative payment systems. Apple can no longer force them onto its in-app purchase system. The App Store also cannot block developers from steering users to outside websites or apps for purchases.
No Friction at Checkout or Install
Apple often shows frightening warning screens when users tap an outside link or install an app from another source. The court ruled that users who pay through an alternative system, or install apps from outside the App Store, must not face deliberately created friction.
Costs and Deadline
Apple must pay 85 percent of Epic’s legal costs. It must also carry out all the orders by March 1, 2027. If it needs more time, it must file proof of the need by February 15, 2027.
Apple Fights Back
Apple said it disagrees with many of the court’s findings. It plans to seek a stay and to appeal. It says it wants an outcome that respects its intellectual property and protects the safe, reliable App Store experience that consumers and developers expect.
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