Apple App Store Price-Fixing Class Action Heads to Trial

A class action lawsuit alleging that Apple's control over its App Store constitutes a monopoly, resulting in inflated app prices for consumers, is headed to trial in February 2026.

Consumers Affected: U.S. Apple account holders who spent $10 or more on apps or in-app purchases since 2008.

Reason for Lawsuit: Allegations that Apple's mandatory 30% commission on app sales stifles competition and artificially inflates prices, causing billions of dollars in damages to consumers.

Court: The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

A California federal judge has set a February 2026 jury trial date for a massive class action lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2011, accuses the tech giant of anti-competitive practices within its App Store, resulting in inflated app prices for millions of consumers.

Apple Consumers Fight Back Against Alleged Price Gouging

This lawsuit has been a long time coming. Initially rejected for class certification in March 2022, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers reconsidered her decision in February 2024.

The case was ultimately certified as a class action with a narrower scope, encompassing only U.S. Apple account holders who spent $10 or more on apps or in-app purchases since 2008. This decision came despite concerns from the judge that the class might still include millions of accounts that suffered no harm.

The plaintiffs’ case hinges on the allegation that Apple's control over the App Store constitutes a monopoly. By forcing developers to use its platform and pay a 30% commission on all sales, Apple allegedly stifles competition and artificially inflates app prices. This practice, according to the complaint, has caused billions of dollars in damages to consumers.

An expert for the plaintiffs estimates damages could be as high as $10 billion. The lawsuit also cites testimony from Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel McFadden, which was initially challenged by Apple but ultimately allowed by the judge.

$10 Billion at Stake as Experts Debate Apple's App Store Practices

Apple vehemently denies the plaintiffs’ allegations, maintaining that its App Store commission structure benefits both developers and users, Reuters reports. The company argues that the App Store provides a secure and curated marketplace for app discovery, ensuring quality and user safety. Additionally, Apple contends that the 30% commission is a standard industry practice and is necessary to maintain the App Store platform.

This lawsuit is just one front in a broader battle over app store practices. The U.S. government, along with a group of states, is also suing Apple in a separate case alleging the company has a monopoly on the entire smartphone market. The first hearing in that case is scheduled for July 17th.

In April, a separate class action lawsuit was filed against Apple, accusing the company of stifling competition in the cloud storage market to create a monopoly for its own iCloud service. Plaintiff Julianna Felix Gamboa, an iCloud customer, alleges that Apple's anti-competitive practices have led her to overpay for the service. She argues that iCloud is not superior to competitors in terms of security or functionality, but Apple's control over the market has artificially limited consumer choice.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: In Re: Apple iPhone Antitrust Litigation
• Case Number: 11-cv-06714-YGR 
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California