Facebook agreed to assist Epic in legal battle

On 16/12/2020, Facebook announced that it would assist Epic Games during the discovery phase of Epic’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple Inc. The company stated it would provide internal documents and information related to Apple’s App Store policies and commission structure. Facebook did not join the case as a plaintiff but indicated that it would cooperate with Epic Games by supplying evidence intended to show how Apple’s rules affected third party developers and businesses operating on iOS. The assistance was limited to discovery, a legal process in which parties gather documents and testimony relevant to the case. The development came amid growing tensions between Facebook and Apple over App Store policies and privacy changes tied to iOS 14. Around the same period, Facebook launched a public campaign criticizing Apple’s privacy updates, including full page newspaper advertisements in publications such as The Wall Street Journal. Facebook argued that the upcoming tracking permission requirements would affect advertising tools used by small businesses. The company also cited disputes with Apple regarding its Paid Online Events feature, where Apple’s standard commission policy applied to transactions processed through iOS apps. Facebook further referenced Apple’s App Store requirements affecting its Facebook Gaming app, which removed certain gameplay features to comply with App Store guidelines. These issues formed part of Facebook’s broader criticism of Apple’s platform rules. By agreeing to share documentation with Epic Games, Facebook aligned with other developers expressing concerns about App Store fees, app distribution restrictions, and platform control, while still remaining outside the lawsuit as an official party.