Fortnite developer Epic Games has secured a partial victory in the Australian Federal Court against Apple and Google over restrictions in their app stores. The court found that both companies breached competition laws by limiting alternative payment options and, in Apple's case, preventing side-loading of apps on iOS.
The legal battle stems from 2020 when Fortnite was removed from both app stores after Epic introduced its own in-app payment system, bypassing the platforms' fees. Epic alleged that Apple and Google misused their market power to stifle competition in app development and payments.
Justice Jonathan Beach ruled that Apple's ban on side-loading and alternative payment methods diminished competition, violating Section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act. Google was found to have breached the same law over its Play Store billing system and Project Hug, an initiative to retain developers.
However, Epic did not succeed on all claims. Google welcomed the court's recognition of Android's openness, while both companies said they would review the full judgment. Any changes to app store policies in Australia are expected to take considerable time.
