Apple Inc's (NASDAQ:AAPL, ETR:APC) shares fell around 1.6% in after-hours trading on Wednesday after a US judge ruled the company had violated a court order relating to its App Store payments policy.
The decision, in a long-running case brought by Fortnite maker Epic Games, referred Apple to federal prosecutors to consider a potential criminal contempt investigation.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found Apple “wilfully” ignored her 2021 injunction, which required the tech giant to let developers steer users to external payment platforms, bypassing Apple’s commission fees of up to 30%.
Instead, the company imposed a 27% charge on off-platform purchases and allegedly tried to conceal its noncompliance.
The ruling could hit Apple’s lucrative App Store business, which generates billions annually.
The stock looks set to open $3.50 lower at $212.50.