Australian court orders Apple to open iPhone app distribution

Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Apple to open iPhone app distribution and payments to competition, while requiring the company to restore Fortnite to the Australian App Store immediately. Most of the new distribution and payment rules are scheduled to take effect on March 1, 2027, unless the court approves an extension. The orders apply to users whose Apple Accounts are registered in Australia. Developers must be allowed to distribute iOS apps through competing marketplaces or directly from their websites, and to offer alternative payment systems or direct customers to external purchasing options. Apple must provide access to relevant development tools on substantially equivalent terms and cannot impose fees on transactions through apps distributed outside its App Store. The court also barred restrictions that would make alternative app distribution or payments less accessible. It nevertheless allowed Apple to retain security scanning and app notarization requirements when they are necessary and proportionate. The ruling does not require Apple to distribute competing marketplaces through its own App Store. The Fortnite readmission order takes effect immediately. Epic...