Australia’s Federal Court ruled that Apple and Google misused their market power in running the App Store and Google Play, breaching Section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act by substantially lessening competition. Justice Jonathan Beach found that restrictions on direct downloads, alternative app stores and third-party payment systems allowed the companies to collect commissions of up to 30 per cent, stifling rivals and inflating prices. The decision opens the door for two class actions that represent about 15 million consumers and 150 000 developers who bought or sold apps between November 2017 and June 2022. Lawyers involved in the cases said compensation is likely to reach hundreds of millions of dollars, potentially ranking among Australia’s largest class-action payouts. A detailed judgment runs to roughly 2 000 pages, with further hearings to set damages. Epic Games, whose long-running suit was heard alongside the class actions, hailed the ruling as a victory despite the court dismissing some of its claims. The company said it will return Fortnite to iOS in Australia through the Epic Games Store at a date still to be determined. Apple welcomed the rejection of parts of Epic’s case but said it “strongly disagrees” with findings that its store is anti-competitive, while Google said it would review the decision and assess next steps. Both firms signalled possible appeals, leaving the final shape of Australia’s mobile-apps market dependent on the outcome of any further litigation.