Apple Faces £1.5 Billion UK Lawsuit Over App Store 'Overcharging'
Apple is heading to court in London on Monday to defend against a class-action lawsuit seeking £1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) in damages over alleged anti-competitive App Store practices in the UK.
Filed by Kings College London academic Dr. Rachael Kent, the lawsuit claims Apple has violated UK and European competition laws by requiring iOS users to download apps exclusively through the App Store while charging developers a commission of up to 30% on purchases.
The legal action represents around 19.6 million UK iPhone and iPad users who may have been overcharged for apps and in-app purchases between October 2015 and November 2024. Under UK law, affected users are automatically included in the claim unless they opt out.
Kent argues that while the App Store was initially "a brilliant gateway" for services, it has become "the only gateway" for millions of consumers, with Apple acting as a monopolist by blocking access to alternative platforms that could offer better deals.
Apple has firmly rejected the allegations, calling the lawsuit "meritless," and says that its App Store commission rates are "very much in the mainstream" compared to other digital marketplaces. The company says that 85% of apps on the App Store are free, and many developers qualify for a reduced 15% commission rate.
The trial at the Competition Appeal Tribunal is expected to last seven weeks and is one of several legal challenges Apple faces globally regarding its App Store practices.
The company is also defending against a separate £785 million UK lawsuit related to developer fees and was recently fined €500 million ($538 million) by the European Commission for breaching digital competition rules relating to music streaming services.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Popular Stories
Apple today announced a "special Apple Experience" in New York, London, and Shanghai, taking place on March 4, 2026 at 9:00am ET.
Apple invited select members of the media to the event in three major cities around the world. It is simply described as a "special Apple Experience," and there is no further information about what it may entail. The invitation features a 3D Apple logo design...
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple on Monday invited selected journalists and content creators to a "special Apple Experience" on Wednesday, March 4 in New York, London, and Shanghai.
At an Apple Experience, attendees are typically given the opportunity to try out Apple's latest hardware or software. Following the launch of Apple Creator Studio last month, for example, some content creators attended an Apple Experience...
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models "won't be a big update," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the iPhone 18 Pro models will "represent minor tweaks from last year's iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max." He compared the upgrade to Apple's past practice of appending the letter "S" to its more minor...
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still seven months away, an analyst has revealed five new features the devices will allegedly have.
Rumored color options for the iPhone 18 Pro models
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities on Thursday, analyst Jeff Pu outlined the following upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro models:
Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored...
