Appeals court upholds Apple’s control of iPhone app store

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer

An appeals court has upheld Apple’s exclusive control over the distribution of iPhone apps. In its ruling Monday, the court rejected the latest attempt to force one of the world’s most powerful companies to dismantle the digital walls protecting its most lucrative product. The 92-page decision issued by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals largely affirmed the findings of a lower-court judge who presided over a 2021 trial revolving around an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game. The lawsuit alleged the iPhone app store had turned into illegal monopoly that stifles innovation and competition.