Apple App Store Antitrust Litigation

This landmark antitrust class action, consolidated after the U.S. Supreme Court's 2019 ruling in Apple Inc. v. Pepper allowed consumers to sue directly, alleges that Apple has maintained an illegal monopoly over the distribution of iPhone and iPad applications. By requiring all iOS users to purchase apps exclusively through the App Store and prohibiting any competing app marketplaces, Apple has allegedly foreclosed competition and forced hundreds of millions of consumers to pay inflated prices for apps and in-app purchases. Plaintiffs argue this arrangement violates Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The case, presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California, has proceeded alongside a parallel developer lawsuit (Epic Games v. Apple). In August 2021, Judge Rogers found Apple had engaged in some anticompetitive conduct, ordering it to allow developers to direct users to external payment methods — a ruling both sides appealed. The consumer class action continues to seek billions in damages on behalf of iOS users who overpaid for apps and in-app purchases due to Apple's alleged suppression of competition. A trial date remains pending as the parties continue extensive discovery.