A Brazilian court has ordered Apple to allow apps outside the App Store on iOS within the country, mirroring a decision previously implemented in the European Union. The corporation has three months to comply with this mandate.
The dispute over third-party apps on iOS in Brazil began last year. According to the 9to5Mac portal, in November 2024, Brazil's Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) stated that Apple was violating the country's antitrust laws by prohibiting apps from other stores on its OS and imposing the App Store's payment system on developers. The regulator required Apple to rectify these violations within 20 days or face a fine of 250,000 reals ($43,000) per day. However, Apple appealed the decision, and the court agreed to review the situation in more detail.
Following a case review, the court concluded that CADE's demands would not cause significant harm to Apple’s business, as the corporation claimed. The court noted that in certain other countries, Apple had already removed "artificial barriers" and continues to operate successfully there.
Apple announced it would file a new appeal, arguing that lifting the restrictions would not only affect its business but also jeopardize user privacy and security.