Apple has won a legal victory in Brazil after successfully appealing an antitrust ruling that would have forced the company to allow app sideloading and third-party app payments on its App Store.
The Brazilian federal judge overturned the ruling from CADE (Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica), which had accused Apple of anti-competitive practices. The judge deemed CADE’s demands “disproportionate and unnecessary.”
Earlier, CADE had given Apple 20 days to comply with the ruling or face a $43,000 daily fine.
The regulator had required Apple to allow developers to link to external websites for payments or handle payments independently, potentially disrupting Apple’s control over its ecosystem.
While Apple has avoided immediate compliance, the legal battle is far from over. CADE is expected to appeal this ruling, meaning that the ongoing clash over App Store policies will continue.
Apple has faced similar challenges in other regions, including the US, EU, South Korea, and Japan.
