What's next for Apple after U.S. court's contempt order in Epic Games case

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled Apple was in “willful” violation of an injunction.

Apple faces a possible criminal contempt probe after a U.S. judge said it violated an order to open its lucrative App Store to more competition and misled the court.

Here is a look at how Apple got here and what comes next in the blockbuster lawsuit brought by "Fortnite" maker Epic Games.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland on Wednesday ruled Apple was in “willful” violation of an injunction she issued in 2021 in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games.

Epic sued in 2020 to loosen Apple's control over transactions in applications that use its iOS operating system and how apps are distributed to consumers. The judge’s prior order required Apple to give developers more power to steer app users to non-Apple payment options that avoid Apple's 30% commission. Apple failed to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the injunction, and it went into effect in early 2024. The new ruling concerned whether Apple had complied with terms of the injunction.

The judge accused Apple of “insubordination” and said it had tried to cover up its decision-making process from the court.

Gonzalez Rogers said Apple must end several practices that she said were designed to circumvent her injunction, including a new 27% fee it imposed on app developers when Apple customers complete an app purchase outside the App Store. She also barred the company from using “scare screens” to deter consumers from using third-party payment options. Apple had denied violating terms of the court’s order.

On top of finding Apple took steps to evade her injunction, Gonzalez Rogers referred Apple and one of its executives to federal prosecutors for a possible criminal contempt investigation.