Apple forced to ditch 30% fee on outside links

It's another day ending in 'y', which means there's a new development in the ongoing Epic vs Apple saga that we thought had been resolved long ago. Apple, the maker of iOS and iPhones, might now be compelled to eliminate their contentious 30% commission on external payment links outside the App Store.

What does this mean for consumers? Simply put, Apple is increasingly on the losing side of the original Epic vs Apple case. This conflict began when Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, enabled players to make in-app purchases directly from Epic for their popular battle royale game, Fortnite, at a significant discount.

While Apple had to remove fees and restrictions on external linking in the EU earlier, the rulings in the US had previously been more favorable to them. However, the latest ruling means Apple can no longer:

• Impose fees on purchases made outside of an app
• Restrict developers' placement or formatting of links
• Limit the use of 'calls to action', such as banners that show potential savings
• Exclude certain apps or developers
• Use 'scare screens' to interfere with consumer choice
• They must use neutral messaging when informing users about third-party site navigation

Although Epic may have lost some battles, it seems they've won the war. Apple intends to appeal the decision, but reversing the judges' rulings appears unlikely.

With the Epic Games Store for mobile establishing a presence on Android and iOS in the EU, and on Android in the US, the significance of the iOS App Store may soon diminish.