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 turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
