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Apple app store consumer class action set for February 2026 jury trial

Mike Scarcella
Reuters

Apple is now facing a February 2026 trial in a $7 billion class action in California federal court that accuses the company of monopolizing the app market for its iPhones, causing tens of millions of customers to pay higher prices.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers set the date for the jury trial in an order, opens new tab on Thursday, after ruling earlier this year to certify the case as a class action comprising all U.S. Apple customers who spent $10 or more on Apple app or in-app purchases since 2008.

The lawsuit, filed in 2011, accuses Apple of artificially inflating the 30% sales commission charged to developers on the company's App Store, claiming that the overcharges are passed down to consumers through increased prices for apps.

This illustration photo shows the Apple app store logo reflected from an iPhone onto the back of an iMac in Los Angeles, August 26, 2021. - Apple has agreed to loosen payment restrictions on its App Store, a major change announced in a settlement with small developers as the US technology giant faces growing scrutiny and legal challenges over its tightly controlled online marketplace. The change will allow small developers to inform their customers of alternative payment options beyond the official App Store.

An expert for the plaintiffs estimated damages of between $7 billion and $10 billion, court records show. An appeals court in May declined Apple's bid to hear its challenge to the class order before trial.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple has denied any wrongdoing.

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An attorney for the plaintiffs, Mark Rifkin of Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz, said on Friday that "nearly all the pretrial work is complete and we are looking forward to the trial of this important case."

In a different case, Rogers is weighing whether Apple has complied with an order requiring it to give developers more freedom to show consumers other ways to pay for purchases made within apps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook testifies on the stand during a weeks-long antitrust trial at federal court in Oakland, California, U.S. May 21, 2021. Cook on Friday told a court that threats to iPhone security and privacy required tight control of the App Store, which "Fortnite" game maker Epic Games says is a monopoly that Apple illegally abuses.

That lawsuit, by “Fortnite” maker Epic Games, did not seek monetary damages.

The U.S. government and a group of states are separately suing Apple in federal court in New Jersey for allegedly monopolizing the smartphone market. Apple has denied the claims and said it will ask a judge to dismiss the lawsuit. The first major hearing in the case is set for July 17.

In re: Apple iPhone Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 4:11-cv-06714-YGR.

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