Court reverses pause on Epic Games ruling ahead of Apple’s Supreme Court bid

A federal appeals court has reversed its stay on enforcement of an antitrust ruling against Apple, requiring the company to loosen App Store payment restrictions while Apple pursues Supreme Court review. This decision eliminates a critical delay tactic and forces Apple to implement alternative payment method policies immediately, with lower court proceedings resuming on commission fee determinations. For IT leaders, this signals that platform gatekeeping practices face increasing legal scrutiny, potentially reshaping how technology companies manage third-party integrations and payment ecosystems across their platforms.