Apple’s App Store Gets a Rough Punch From Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers
So, Apple’s latest attempt to keep its App Store rules tight and unchangeable has been stalled. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said “no” to Apple’s plea for more time, forcing the tech titan to let developers add third‑party payment options by Dec 9 — no exceptions, no delays.
The Apple Argument
Apple’s lawyers argued that opening up the platform is “fraught with risks”. Mark Perry, an attorney for Apple, insisted that putting live links inside apps for digital content would require months of engineering, cost studies, and a whole new set of guidelines to keep kids, devs, shoppers and the company safe.
“It’s going to take months to figure out the engineering, economic, business, and other issues. There have to be guardrails and guidelines,” Perry said. The idea is to protect everyone involved while still permitting outside payment options.
Judge Rogers Calls It a Delay Tactic
Rogers wasn’t buying it. She framed Apple’s request as a stalling move – basically as if the company wants a permanent stay that could stretch to years.
“You haven’t asked for additional time. You’ve asked for an injunction,” she said. “If Apple allows third‑party payment options, it could stand to lose billions in revenue.” While Apple hasn’t disclosed exact figures, analysts estimate the App Store raked in roughly US$19 billion (S$26 billion) last year alone.
What Happens Next?
- Apple is set to appeal the decision — no surprise in this corporate drama.
- Developers will be able to push payments from any company that’s allowed to facilitate Deletable Apps Payment System on the platform.
- Apple will have around 10 more days to implement the necessary changes.
Why It Matters
In short, the App Store’s top‑tier money-maker must either open its doors to more payment options or risk big-ticket revenue losses. If Apple doesn’t give compliance developers a boost, it could ultimately curse its business model.
Stay tuned for more updates — and, of course, whatever Apple’s next move will be.
