Apple fights £1.5bn UK App Store overcharge ruling
Apple is appealing a UK tribunal's decision that it overcharged 36 million iPhone and iPad users by £1.5 billion, mainly through its 30% App Store commission between 2015 and 2024.
The tribunal found Apple's commission structure to be an abuse of its dominant position, suggesting they should be much lower—17.5% for app sales and 10% for in-app purchases.
Why does this matter?
If Apple loses the appeal, millions of UK users could get payouts, with total claims possibly topping £6 billion—including compensation for developers and even some Google Play users.
The case highlights how App Store fees impact what you pay for apps, especially since many relied on them more during the pandemic.
With the appeal expected to drag into 2026, there's still a long wait before anything is settled.