Apple bans Epic Games again, ending its third-party app store ambitions

[Daniel Sims]

What just happened? Epic Games has spent years fighting Apple for the right to distribute its software on iPhones without paying a 30 percent commission fee. Epic thought it had won a minor victory as Europe's Digital Markets Act goes into effect Thursday, but Apple has snatched it away, citing Epic's past behavior and comments.

Apple has terminated Epic Games Sweden's developer account, banning the company from releasing any iOS software on or off the Apple App Store. The decision comes mere weeks after Europe's new Digital Markets Act (DMA) pushed the Cupertino giant to let Epic start an alternate app store.

Epic and its hit game Fortnite were initially kicked off of the App Store in 2020 amid a legal battle with Apple over its policies, which lock downloads and payments to the iOS operator's backend while imposing a commission fee – usually 30 percent. The court's decision mostly favored Apple, and Fortnite remains playable on iOS only through browser-based cloud streaming.

However, the DMA forces Apple to allow sideloading, and Epic quickly announced plans to launch a third-party iOS app store through its Swedish subsidiary, which would signal Fortnite's return as a native app. Instead, Apple's termination of Epic's developer account has killed the effort before it could begin.

Epic responded by publishing a series of letters between it and Apple, in which the latter explains its reasoning. Cupertino cites Epic CEO Tim Sweeney's public criticism of Apple's DMA compliance measures and the prior court fight between the two companies, calling Epic "verifiably untrustworthy." The argument centers around Epic's deliberate defiance of the original iOS Terms of Service, which caused Fortnite's original ban.

Although Apple will begin allowing European companies to distribute iOS software outside the App Store, it still imposes tight restrictions on them and has introduced new fees – a strategy Sweeney labeled "Malicious Compliance." Spotify also blasted the measures, claiming that the fees amounted to extortion and indirectly maintain the status quo, where Apple retains ultimate control over what software is available on iOS.

Sweeney considers Epic's second ban illegal under the DMA, but it remains to be seen how the EU will respond. The action demonstrates that the law's current iteration can't stop Apple from unilaterally blocking developers and software from its devices.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102162-apple-bans-epic-games-again-ending-third-party.html

 

[m4a4]

I can't wait for the EU to "fix" their DMA and declaws Apple from so arrogantly pretending that they still own the devices they sell.

And then I hope America follows suit right behind them...

 

[bviktor]

Apple retains ultimate control over what software is available on iOS

How dare they decide what happens with their own product?!

Why can't Sweeney just take his billions, go away, and never return?

 

[bviktor]

I can't wait for the EU to "fix" their DMA and declaws Apple from so arrogantly pretending that they still own the devices they sell.

And then I hope America follows suit right behind them...

And why exactly do you want these devices to open up? This benefits literally no one else besides malware creators and greedy companies who think their earned billions are not enough.

We only have counterexamples: Windows, open platform, totally swamped with malware. And has been ever since its existence. Android, open platform, completely swamped with malware.

Look at the app store guidelines - pretty much all the rules about protecting the user. I LIKE THAT, thank you very much, and I don't want my system to open up. I don't miss anything.

 

[dangh]

How dare they decide what happens with their own product?!

They achieved position closed to monopoly. This require regulations. They are breaking competition law as proven e.g. with Spotify, and many other. OS is infrastructure, and as such, it's not a single product.
They pretends to fulfill eu regulations but in fact they do it in malicious way. They know eu will come back to them with strictly defined requirement, but they just want to maximise gains for couple of years while pretending they care. Request was very simple, but they implemented it in a way even worse for end users and developers.
Apple constantly and actively destroying small companies and starts which could anyhow touch their pie. They are not good guys, not even neutral. Epic at least try to highlight the issue and apple will be fined again, at least in eu.

 

[Axeia]

And why exactly do you want these devices to open up? This benefits literally no one else besides malware creators and greedy companies who think their earned billions are not enough.

Ah yes, because Apple the second most profitable company in the world (behind Saudi Aramco) isn't greedy and needs the billions by:
Wanting a 30% cut for every app and IN-APP purchase, whilst handling fees are about 2-4% with other payment processors. Sure they need to finance the App Store but it really isn't *that* expensive and why would they need a cut for say a Fortnite Skin or subscription fees? They literally wouldn't be involved in the entire process if they didn't force themselves into it by literally forbidding other forms of payments...
Apple is not the victim here.

We only have counterexamples: Windows, open platform, totally swamped with malware. And has been ever since its existence. Android, open platform, completely swamped with malware.

Android totally swamped by malware? Surprisingly little considering their crap update support and much bigger user base.
Windows swamped by malware? Hardly nowadays. And it's not like the App Store has to go away, there'd simply be other places (optional places).

Look at the app store guidelines - pretty much all the rules about protecting the user. I LIKE THAT, thank you very much, and I don't want my system to open up. I don't miss anything.

Great! So how about you stick to the App Store and don't install things outside it? No one is forcing you. It's like your local supermarket starting to offer more products - the option is there, you don't have to use it. Stick to what you know but let others do what they want?

---
Not that anything is changing with how things are set up atm. Apple can reject App Stores, Apple still wants a massive cut from any transaction even if the app is from another store.
Apple is currently trying to skirt the new rules so no one has a reason to pull out of the App Store and go to another store because
A) They lose 99.99% of protentional users in one go
B) Apple still gets a say in what is and isn't allowed and still wants a cut

I don't get how people are against more choice.
- You're not being forced to use it
- The App Store will still be the go to place and no sane company/app would want to miss out on it as its installed by default (Worked pretty well for Internet Explorer until they were completely complacent).

imo the EU should force two things.
1) Apple NEEDS to allow third party payment processors. Making their own a mandatory option is sketchy imo but hey it's their platform and a lot of people do like having a single trusted option even if it costs more. Disallowing others from competing however is abusing their position (especially since atm they're also not allowed to hint at the other method is cheaper)
2) Apple NEEDS to allow a way of allowing users to install whatever they want. If this is at the cost of any form of warranty so be it, there can be conditions to it but you should be allowed to install on your device what you want to install.
- Apple shouldn't have any say in what these apps are allowed to do. If they're straight up for Adult Entertainment who's Apple to forbid an adult to access that?

 

[themastergoose]

Am I alone in a group of one that thinks having iPhones widely opened up is a bad thing?

I’ll be very clear from the outset that I am not a fan of Apple bullying everyone and anyone for a 30% cut of literally anything that is transacted through an iPhone - even if the purchased content can’t ever work on an iPhone (Steam store for example).

But, at the same time I need my iPhone to be a secure and reliable PHONE first and foremost and some security is welcomed from Apple in this regard.

I have other choices for open platforms and power uses if I need them, and any phone is never in consideration - even Android ones…

 

[GoldenGoat]

I have Epic on my PC and I'm not aware of any issues. Maybe they're harvesting my organs in the background and I just don't know it?

 

[Axeia]

Am I alone in a group of one that thinks having iPhones widely opened up is a bad thing?

I’ll be very clear from the outset that I am not a fan of Apple bullying everyone and anyone for a 30% cut of literally anything that is transacted through an iPhone - even if the purchased content can’t ever work on an iPhone (Steam store for example).

But, at the same time I need my iPhone to be a secure and reliable PHONE first and foremost and some security is welcomed from Apple in this regard.

I have other choices for open platforms and power uses if I need them, and any phone is never in consideration - even Android ones…

How does it make your iPhone any less secure? Apple will bombard you with all kinds of warnings if you try to leave their eco system so the chances of you accidently doing it are non existent. New apps don't magically manifest themselves onto your phone.

Meanwhile other people slightly less concerned with security that trust per your example Valve and get to save some money by jumping through some hoops.

Or at least that's what the EU had in mind, Apple still wants a 27% cut of that. VISA or whatever payment provider actually doing the transaction wants their 3% and we're back to 30% saving no money and making everything a lot more cumbersome. Hopefully the EU shoots that down and it's 0% for Apple. Otherwise it's about as useful as Apples repair program where it makes no financial sense to ever use it and just wastes the time of everyone involved (whilst technically compkying to the law)

 

[m4a4]

And why exactly do you want these devices to open up? This benefits literally no one else besides malware creators and greedy companies who think their earned billions are not enough.

We only have counterexamples: Windows, open platform, totally swamped with malware. And has been ever since its existence. Android, open platform, completely swamped with malware.

Look at the app store guidelines - pretty much all the rules about protecting the user. I LIKE THAT, thank you very much, and I don't want my system to open up. I don't miss anything.

...as others have already kindly pointed out lol

And then imagine thinking the guidelines are about protecting the user, and not their profits within their walled garden. They don't care about you, it just also looks good for PR...

 

[holydiver]

EU will sue Apple once again then. Can't wait!