Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Tim Cook defends Apple in blockbuster Fortnite trial: 'It has nothing to do with money'

Tim Cook defends Apple in blockbuster Fortnite trial: 'It has nothing to do with money'

In his first-ever court appearance as CEO of Apple, Tim Cook sought to defend the tech giant from allegations that it abuses its market power by touting it as a principled company with an obsessive focus on users.

Apple's mission "is to make the best products in the world that really enrich people's lives," Cook said Friday morning under questioning from Apple's lawyer, noting the tens of billions of dollars of company investments in research, privacy and security. "We have a maniacal focus on the user," he added.

The iPhone maker's chief executive took the stand to wrap up Apple's case in its high-profile antitrust trial with Epic Games. At the center of the lawsuit is Fortnite, the hugely popular video game made by Epic that was kicked out of Apple's App Store last summer for flouting Apple's rules on digital payments by establishing its own system. Apple (AAPL) gets a 30% cut of many in-app purchases on iOS devices and does not allow alternative payment systems.

Fortnite's removal from the App Store prompted Epic to sue Apple.

Epic accuses Apple of exercising monopolistic control over its "walled garden" iOS operating system, alleging that app makers are forced into onerous restrictions if they want access to hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users. Apple argues there are several other places users can buy apps and that its commission helps the company make its devices better and more secure.

Cook was grilled on Apple's claims at the end of his testimony by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is expected to pronounce a verdict in the coming weeks.

In a quickfire, somewhat tense exchange with the Apple CEO, Rogers asked why Apple couldn't give users a choice to get games and content cheaper than it is on the iPhone.

"I think they have a choice today, they have a choice between many different Android models of smartphones or an iPhone," Cook said, referring to Google's Android smartphone operating system. "That iPhone has a set of principles behind it in safety, security and privacy," he added.

He also defended Apple's rule that iPhone apps can't let users know that their products are available at a cheaper price elsewhere, saying in response to a question from Gonzalez Rogers that it would hurt Apple's return on its intellectual property.

Though most of the apps on the App Store are free, Cook said, apps that pay Apple's commission benefit from the huge audience those free apps bring to the app store and also from the technical updates and support Apple provides to developers.

"We've made a choice," he said. "There are clearly other ways to monetize, but we chose this one because this one overall is the best way."

Cook was the last of several Apple executives to testify, with others including Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, and Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow and former longtime head of marketing, who each took the stand earlier this week. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was the first witness in the trial, which has lasted nearly three weeks and is scheduled to wrap up on Monday.

In his testimony, Cook hit on now-familiar themes that Apple's executives and lawyers have been employing throughout the trial, including that the company's products and services put privacy and security front and center and also compete with many others in the smartphone and app markets. (Cook mentioned Samsung and Google, as well as Chinese brands such as Oppo, Vivo and Huawei.)

He also stressed the importance of Apple's process of reviewing apps, which the company has argued makes its devices safer.

"You can imagine if we turned review off, how long it would take the App Store to just become a toxic kind of mess, and that would be terrible for the user," he said.

Under cross examination by one of Epic's lawyers, citing internal financial documents, Cook was grilled extensively on Apple's claims that it does not break out profits for the App Store separately, as well as about the in-app payments at the core of the lawsuit that he said were simply a more "efficient" way to collect commissions from developers.

Asked about the removal of Fortnite from the App Store and his reference to its actions as "malicious," Cook said the game would be welcomed back on Apple devices if it adheres to the guidelines.

Apple is focused on doing what's best for users rather than any financial benefits, Cook said when asked by Epic's lawyer whether Apple is considering the revenue -- in excess of $100 million in commissions -- it receives from Epic and Fortnite.

"The user is caught between two companies," he said. "It has nothing to do with money."

For Cook and Apple, there's more at stake than just this blockbuster court case. Cook's testimony on Friday is likely to set the tone for Apple's fight against the growing antitrust pressure it's facing. Other frenemies such as Spotify and Match Group, the owner of Tinder, have accused the App Store of being anticompetitive. And regulators in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have launched investigations into Apple's rules.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×