The Supreme Court seems pretty skeptical of Apple

A class action lawsuit against Apple over the App Store may earn a go-ahead from the Supreme Court

The court is currently reviewing a case concerning whether Apple is operating an illegal monopoly with its App Store, reports NBC News. The consumers' argument is essentially that Apple drives the price of apps on the store higher when it charges developers a 30 percent commission fee, since that fee ultimately results in higher prices. The plaintiffs argue Apple is in violation of antitrust laws, while Apple argues there is no legitimate claim because the company does not have a role in determining the price of apps in the App Store, The Washington Post reports. Apple has also argued that only app developers themselves would have standing to sue, per CNBC.

Oral arguments in the case began Monday, and The Associated Press reports that the court appears to be leaning toward allowing the suit to move ahead. USA Today reports that the court's four liberal-leaning judges were "skeptical of Apple's monopoly," and their skepticism was at times echoed by Associate Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. The court is not ruling on the actual case, but rather whether consumers have standing to sue Apple.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

If the suit does move forward, and Apple doesn't win, CNBC reports the tech giant could be required to pay iPhone users hundreds of millions of dollars.