Apple to kill Epic’s accounts on Friday the 28th (twitter.com)

Article summary

Apple has informed Epic Games that it will terminate all of Epic's developer accounts and cut Epic off from iOS and Mac development tools on August 28. This move comes after Epic intentionally broke Apple's App Store rules, leading to the removal of Fortnite from the App Store. Epic is asking the court to stop this action, which it sees as retaliation. The dispute centers on Apple's 30% cut of in-app purchases and Epic's desire to use its own payment system.

Main themes

• Apple-Epic dispute
• App Store policies
• Antitrust concerns
• Market definition
• Mobile gaming
• General-purpose computing devices

What commenters say

• Apple's actions constitute an abuse of market power and retaliation against Epic.
• Epic intentionally broke Apple's rules and should face the consequences, including account termination.
• The definition of the relevant market is crucial in determining whether Apple has a monopoly, with some arguing it is the iOS market and others considering it the broader mobile gaming market.
• Antitrust laws can apply even without a monopoly, and Apple's dominant position in the app market raises concerns about its power to stifle competition.
• Game consoles and smartphones have different use cases and restrictions, which may justify different approaches to app store policies.
• The ability to run third-party software is a key aspect of general-purpose computing devices like iPhones and Macs, and Apple's restrictions may be seen as anticompetitive.