In a pivotal decision on Monday, a U.S. federal judge decertified a class action lawsuit that had grouped over ten million Americans against tech giant Apple Inc. The plaintiffs accused Apple of monopolizing the iPhone app market, thereby inflating prices and restricting market competition by limiting app purchases to the Apple Store. This lawsuit, which has been in the legal system since December 2011, covers alleged actions by Apple dating back to July 2008.

District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the case in the Northern District of California, initially denied the class action status in March 2022. She reasoned that the millions included in the lawsuit likely did not suffer any tangible harm. In a twist, February 2024 saw the plaintiffs narrow their group to only include individuals who had spent more than $10 on apps or in-app content, leading Rogers to grant class certification for the revised lawsuit.

However, this decision was reversed after an expert report commissioned by Apple identified critical errors in the way the class size was calculated. The report highlighted redundancies, such as counting duplicate accounts under slightly different names (e.g., "Rob Pepper" vs. "Robert Pepper") as separate entities. This flaw, according to the court, rendered it impossible to accurately determine which users actually suffered harm from Apple's alleged monopolistic practices.

The court's decision to decertify the class action was strongly influenced by these findings. The ruling stated, "Consumer plaintiffs proffer no methodology to match Apple ID accounts to consumers, and therefore no way to show that antitrust injury is 'capable of being established through a common body of evidence, applicable to the whole class.'"

Following the court's decision, Apple issued a statement expressing their satisfaction with the outcome, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining the App Store as a secure and reliable platform for users and a lucrative opportunity for developers.

The decertification of the class presents a considerable challenge for the plaintiffs, as pursuing individual lawsuits could lead to increased legal costs and extended court proceedings. This decision marks a significant moment in ongoing debates over digital marketplace monopolies and consumer rights.