Apple referred to federal prosecutors after judge rules it violated court order

Core Viewpoint - Apple has been found to violate a court order aimed at promoting competition in its App Store, leading to a referral to federal prosecutors for potential criminal contempt [1][2][5]. Group 1: Court Ruling and Implications - A federal judge ruled that Apple failed to comply with an injunction from an antitrust lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, which required Apple to allow greater competition for app downloads and payment methods [1][5]. - The judge emphasized that Apple's actions were not merely a negotiation but a willful disregard of the court order, leading to serious consequences [2][8]. - Apple is now barred from impeding developers' ability to communicate with users and must not impose its new commission on off-app purchases [8]. Group 2: Testimonies and Reactions - Testimony from Apple's vice-president of finance, Alex Roman, was criticized by the judge as being filled with "misdirection and outright lies" regarding compliance efforts [3][7]. - Epic Games' CEO Tim Sweeney hailed the ruling as a significant victory for developers and consumers, stating it forces Apple to compete with other payment services [3][4]. Group 3: Allegations Against Apple - Epic Games accused Apple of imposing a new 27% fee on app developers for purchases made outside the App Store, in addition to the existing 30% commission for in-app purchases [6]. - Apple allegedly began warning customers about the dangers of external links to deter non-Apple payments, which Epic described as making the system "commercially unusable" [6]. Group 4: Apple's Defense - Apple has denied any wrongdoing, claiming it has made extensive efforts to comply with the injunction while maintaining its business model [7]. - The judge previously suggested that changes made by Apple to its App Store appeared to be aimed solely at stifling competition [7].