Apple is pushing back against a billion-pound setback.
The tech giant has taken its fight over UK App Store fees to the Court of Appeal after a landmark antitrust ruling found that its commission structure unfairly inflated costs for millions of users and opened the door to roughly £1.5 billion in potential damages.
Details of Apple’s appeal
Apple has formally asked the UK Court of Appeal to overturn a December decision by the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) that concluded the company abused its dominant position by charging excessive App Store commission fees between 2015 and 2024.
Under UK collective-action law, the original case was brought on behalf of roughly 36 million iPhone and iPad users who made App Store purchases during that period.
The CAT’s judgment found that Apple’s standard practice of taking up to a 30% cut on app sales and in-app purchases resulted in higher costs for consumers than would have existed in a competitive market. That conclusion set the stage for the potential £1.5 billion award, which could be distributed to eligible UK customers if the ruling stands.
Apple argues the tribunal’s assessment of “fair” fees was based on flawed assumptions, and says the tribunal mischaracterized both the economics of the app ecosystem and the competitive pressures Apple faces. The company maintains that the App Store supports a “thriving and competitive” marketplace and offers valuable security, privacy protections, and broad distribution benefits to developers and users alike.
After its initial bid to appeal was denied by the CAT, Apple has now taken the case directly to the Court of Appeal, which has broader authority to grant permission.
Wider antitrust pressure on Big Tech
This UK appeal is part of a broader wave of legal and regulatory challenges confronting Apple and other major platform operators around the world.
The original ruling was seen as a watershed moment in UK competition law, marking one of the first successful collective actions against a major tech firm’s platform fees. Consumer advocates hailed it as a breakthrough in holding Big Tech accountable for practices they see as anticompetitive and costly for everyday users.
Lead claimant Dr. Rachael Kent described the tribunal’s victory as empowering for ordinary consumers and indicative of growing scrutiny on dominant tech platforms. If Apple’s appeal is rejected, every UK user who made paid App Store transactions during the relevant period could be eligible for compensation, a prospect that has fueled attention on how platform fees ultimately affect digital consumers.
The case also sits alongside other claims targeting Apple and Google on similar grounds, including challenges to developer fees and allegations of restrictive practices on services such as iCloud. In some instances, other companies and advocacy groups have pushed for broader reforms to app distribution rules and payment systems, arguing that current structures limit competition and inflate consumer prices.
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Apple’s case could set a significant precedent not just in the UK, but for similar cases in Europe and beyond.
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