Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service opens case against Apple over its refusal to allow alternative payment methods

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has opened a case against Apple as the company still doesn’t let developers add links to alternative payment methods outside the App Store.

The case was opened today because Apple hadn’t complied with the FAS’ request by September 30.

The company should have made changes to clause 3.1 in its App Store Review Guidelines, which doesn’t allow iOS developers to add buttons or other calls to action within their apps that link users to alternative payment methods.

The FAS first issued a warning to Apple on August 30, accusing the company of “abusing its dominant position in the distribution market for iOS apps.” If Apple is found guilty of violating the Competition Protection Act, it will face a turnover penalty based on the amount of its market revenue.

This case came in the wake of Apple’s ongoing trial with Epic Games. While the court ruled that the company should allow developers to add links to alternative payment methods, both Epic and Apple appealed the ruling.