Apple has failed in its attempt to stop a US judge’s order that it allows links to outside payment options for purchases in its apps.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit brought by gaming company Epic, which accused Apple of operating a monopoly with its App Store.
In April, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled that Apple had broken antitrust rules by not allowing developers to provide direct links to payment platforms outside of its store.
She ordered it to allow web links and alternative payment options, but Apple launched an appeal and asked for the ruling to be put on hold.
However, its appeal was rejected by a higher court as it was “not persuaded” that blocking the order was justified.
As a result, Apple must now continue to allow web links and external payment options in the App Store.