Epic Games, the developer of the game Fortnite, has accused Apple of operating in Washington with the intent to harm diplomatic relations between Brazil and the United States. This allegation arises after regulatory decisions forced the opening of the iPhone's operating system to accommodate competing virtual stores.
Tim Sweeney, founder and CEO of Epic Games, made this statement during a virtual press conference held with Brazilian journalists last Friday, the 30th. According to Sweeney, the iPhone manufacturer's strategy aims to protect its current billing model and restrict competition in the market.
On the other hand, Apple vehemently refuted these accusations, classifying Epic Games' claims as untrue. The company assured that it maintains a communication channel with Brazilian regulatory bodies and that its focus is on maintaining protective safeguards within the digital environment.
The core of this controversy lies in the determination by CADE (Administrative Council for Economic Defense) that Apple must allow alternatives to the App Store in Brazilian territory. As a result of this ruling, Epic Games began offering its own store to iPhone users in the country.
However, Sweeney pointed out that despite the opening, obstacles persist that hinder competition. The executive alleged that Apple imposes costs and processes that discourage both developers and consumers from using independent stores. He stated: 'Apple is trying to destroy good relations between our countries to preserve its ability to continue violating the law and charging illegal fees.'
Sweeney also connected this commercial dispute to the existing political climate between Brazil and the United States. He suggested that Apple allies in the US government, notably at the United States Trade Representative's Office (USTR), adopted positions contrary to international partners who regulate technology companies.
This criticism from Sweeney occurs against the backdrop of tariff measures announced by the Donald Trump administration against Brazilian products. As mentioned in the source material, the USTR recommended to the American president the implementation of these tariffs, justifying them on issues such as digital trade and payment services.
Epic Games insists that Apple continues to erect barriers to prevent full competition. The points under question include the fees applied to external payments, purchases initiated via applications, and revenues generated by alternative stores installed on devices.
According to Sweeney, the company charges higher amounts than those practiced by common payment processing services, arguing that such charges do not correspond to the actual cost of the service provided. Furthermore, the company contests the procedure required by Apple for installing external stores.
Epic claims that Brazilian users must go through nine steps to install an alternative to the App Store, contrasting with European rules, which reduced this process to only six steps. Another aspect raised by the Fortnite developer is the obligation to submit reports on transactions made in alternative stores. Epic framed this mechanism as a form of monitoring operations outside Apple's official platform.
The iPhone manufacturer rebutted this interpretation, stating that the term used by Epic to describe the system is imprecise, since the reports serve to calculate payments linked to the use of third-party payment technologies.
The Epic Games store was launched on the Brazilian iOS with two titles available: Fortnite and Rocket League Sideswipe. The company expressed its intention to increase the variety of games but attributed the initial limitation to difficulties imposed by Apple. Currently, the Epic Games Store is accessible on Android devices in several markets, but on Apple devices, only in regions where there was a determination to change the system's operation, such as Europe, Japan, and Brazil.
