Apple isn’t giving up on this $2 billion App Store fight just yet

Apple isn’t ready to swallow a multi-billion-dollar payout to UK App Store users just yet. Instead, it’s pushing back again, this time by taking its long-running antitrust fight to a higher court. The case has been dragging on for years, and despite a major ruling going against Apple, the company clearly isn’t backing down.

Apple takes the fight beyond the UK competition tribunal

Earlier this fall, the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled against Apple after a full trial tied to a class-action lawsuit representing millions of iPhone and iPad users across the United Kingdom. The tribunal concluded that Apple abused its dominant position in the app distribution market between October 2015 and the end of 2020.

According to the ruling, Apple effectively shut out competition by keeping the App Store as the only way to distribute apps on iOS devices. On top of that, the CAT said Apple charged developers “excessive and unfair” commission fees, which then filtered down to consumers through higher app and in-app purchase prices.

Back in November 2025, Apple already tried – and failed – to block the CAT’s order that it pay around $2 billion in compensation to UK App Store users who were allegedly overcharged. Now, Apple is trying again, this time asking to appeal to the UK’s Court of Appeal. If accepted, this would move the case beyond the CAT and into a higher legal arena.

Apple hasn’t publicly commented on this latest appeal attempt, but the likely target is clear. The CAT calculated potential damages based on what it believed would have been a “reasonable” App Store commission, landing somewhere between 15% and 20%. The tribunal admitted this figure was reached through “informed guesswork,” rather than a precise market benchmark, which is something Apple is almost certainly challenging.

If the ruling ultimately stands, the roughly $2 billion fine would be distributed among UK App Store users who made purchases between 2015 and 2024.

Why the case exists in the first place

The lawsuit was brought by British academic Rachael Kent, who argued that Apple generated “exorbitant profits” by blocking competition in app distribution and in-app payments. Her legal team claimed that Apple’s total control of the App Store gave it what they described as a “100% monopoly position,” allowing it to impose restrictive rules and high commissions on developers.

Apple has consistently denied those claims, arguing that its App Store model benefits both developers and users. Still, the CAT sided with Kent on several key points. In its ruling, the tribunal said developers were effectively overcharged by the difference between a 17.5% commission and what Apple actually charged, which Kent’s lawyers said was usually around 30%.

The CAT also concluded that developers passed roughly half of those extra costs on to consumers, strengthening the case that everyday users were financially affected, not just app makers.

Apple responded by pushing back on the broader interpretation of the App Store’s role. An Apple spokesperson said the ruling overlooks how the platform plays a key role in helping developers succeed while giving users a safe, trusted place to discover apps and make secure payments. That argument has been central to Apple’s defense in similar cases around the world.

Part of a much bigger legal storm

This appeal is just one piece of a much larger legal picture. If allowed to proceed, the case would join several other class-action lawsuits targeting Apple and Google, where consumers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs are collectively seeking more than £6 billion (around $8 billion when directly converted) in compensation.

And the pressure isn’t limited to the UK. Apple has been facing increased scrutiny across Europe over how it runs the App Store. Italy recently fined the company millions of euros for allegedly abusing its position in the mobile app market. Earlier this year, French regulators also handed Apple a €150 million fine related to App Store rules that were found to limit competition.

All of this shows a clear pattern: regulators across Europe are taking a much harder look at how big tech companies operate their platforms. Whether Apple’s latest appeal succeeds or not, it’s clear that the App Store – and how Apple monetizes it – will stay under the microscope for a long time to come.

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