Arabic version: أبل مُلزمة بفتح متجر التطبيقات الأسترالي

According to ABC News, the Federal Court has ordered Apple to open its devices to other app stores after finding the company breached Australian competition law. The ruling is expected to affect roughly 15 million Australian Apple users, who will be able to download apps from the open web and rival app stores.

Federal Court Justice Jonathan Beach ruled that Apple must make the changes by March 2027. Apple will also be required to allow alternative payment methods. Consumer advocates hope the measures will increase competition and reduce prices for Apple users.

The order follows a long-running legal fight between Apple and Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite. The dispute has extended across Europe, the UK, the US and Australia. In August last year, the Federal Court found that both Apple and Google had misused their market power in the operation of their app stores.

Epic Games and lawyers in a parallel class action had alleged that Apple and Google effectively prevented competing app stores from operating on their devices and required apps to use their payment platforms, which collect fees of between 15 and 30 per cent. Apple had argued during the case that its approach was needed for security and intellectual property reasons.

Justice Beach said Apple had breached the Competition and Consumer Act through an “intricate web of terms and technical measures”. He ordered Apple to pay 85 per cent of Epic Games’ legal costs from the months-long trial. Fortnite is returning to Apple’s Australian app store from today after a six-year absence. Apple told Reuters it disagreed with many findings and would seek a stay and appeal.