Y Combinator says Apple’s App Store has hindered startup growth
Y Combinator has filed an amicus brief in the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Epic Games, arguing that the App Store has stifled startup innovation. We’ve reached out to legal reps for YC and Apple for comment. The brief comes during the years-long legal dispute. Epic Games first filed an antitrust lawsuit against the iPhone maker in 2020 in protest of Apple taking a 30% fee for every purchase made in the App Store, as well as in-game purchases. Epic claimed in its suit that Apple unlawfully banned developers from telling customers about payment alternatives to the App Store. A judge ordered Apple to end its anti-steering policy, but instead, the company implemented a link program that allowed developers to link to alternative payment methods, with the app store…
