U.S. Judge Decertifies Apple App Store Monopoly Class Action

A federal judge has decertified a long-running class action lawsuit against Apple, marking a major win for the tech giant in a case that alleged it monopolized the iPhone app market. U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, based in Oakland, California, revoked her earlier February 2024 decision that had allowed tens of millions of iPhone users to sue Apple collectively. The plaintiffs had accused the company of inflating app prices by blocking purchases outside the App Store.

Judge Rogers ruled that the plaintiffs’ model failed to demonstrate a reliable, classwide method of proving injury and damages. She noted that their data contained major flaws — including mismatched Apple accounts and erroneous record groupings — undermining the credibility of their case. One glaring error involved the supposed duplication of the lead plaintiff, Robert Pepper, and another “Rob Pepper,” despite identical addresses and credit card information. Another issue was the aggregation of more than 40,000 unrelated payment records under the same first name, “Kim.”

Apple’s legal team highlighted these “alarming” inconsistencies, arguing they invalidated the plaintiffs’ damage model. Following the ruling, plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Rifkin expressed disappointment, saying they are “reviewing their next legal steps” to continue fighting Apple’s “unlawful App Store monopoly.” Apple, on the other hand, welcomed the decision, stating that it invests heavily to maintain the App Store as a “safe and trusted place” for both users and developers.

The case, filed in December 2011, had initially represented iOS device users since July 2008. Plaintiffs claimed Apple’s 30% commission on app sales forced developers to raise prices, harming consumers. Potential damages were estimated in the billions. The case is In re Apple iPhone Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 11-06714.