Apple has reportedly settled a lawsuit filed by a high-profile developer and App Store critic.
As reported by TechCrunch, Kosta Eleftheriou sued Apple over claims the company has a monopoly on the iOS App Store and app distribution which led to Apple refusing to approve updates for his popular FlickType keyboard app, even removing the app at one point. Eleftheriou claims this may have stemmed from Apple's failed attempt to acquire his software.
High-profile
Eleftheriou also said that this app was the target of plagiarism, with scammers fleecing unsuspecting iPhone users with clone apps of his idea, which were approved by Apple despite rejecting his own app on the grounds it offered users a "poor user experience."
The terms of the dismissal of the case are not known, however as the TC report notes "it’s hard to imagine the developer would have agreed to dismiss the case if terms were not at least somewhat agreeable." Alongside his lawsuit, Eleftheriou offers running Twitter commentary on numerous App Store scams and mishaps, including a crypto scam app that cost a user $600,000.
The idea that Apple has a monopoly on its iOS App Store is the foundation of several legal challenges and burgeoning legislation seeking to curb this power. While Apple maintains that it needs absolute control in order to protect users from scams and to ensure it can successfully collect payment as rewards for its efforts, many have pointed to the poor quality of some apps on the store and the persistence of scam apps like those highlighted by Eleftheriou as proof this is not the case.
As today's report notes, Eleftheriou's work was even cited by the Senate during a 2021 antitrust hearing, where Apple was asked why it couldn't locate scams Eleftheriou had shown were "trivially easy to identify."
Eleftheriou told TechCrunch he was unable to comment on the terms of the settlement.
