Meta, Microsoft, X and other companies unite against Apple in the US

Photo: Reproduction/Folha PE.

Big companies such as Meta, Microsoft, formerly Twitter (now called “X”) and Match Group, which owns Tinder, accuse Apple of disobeying a court order to respect the right of third parties to provide third-party payment methods to their users.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, known for her critical stance on Apple's practices, issued a decision in 2021 in a case brought by Epic Games, setting a precedent in combating the considered abusive fees that Apple charges for using its system for financial transactions.

Although Apple claims that its fees, which range from 15% to 30%, are compensation for services provided to third parties, the central controversy lies in the fact that software developers do not have the option to refuse these services.

The tech giants came together last Wednesday (20) to send a letter to the US courts condemning Apple's recent actions. The main argument is that the current rules for subscriptions and purchases from third-party services are impractical for developers and unattractive for consumers.

In practice, Apple restricts icons, external links, or other “call-to-action” methods that redirect users to sites that offer affordable alternatives to hiring online services.

In response to the case, an Apple spokesperson told The Verge that the company is fully complying with the court order, and argued that Epic Games never challenged the argument that “unregulated” external links could harm product developers and digital consumers.

He also said that the current restrictions on external linking are necessary to keep Apple's ecosystem secure and avoid confusion among users of the company's platforms. Apple has until April 30 to formally present its defense to American justice.

With information from Giz Modo/UOL.