Apple Class Action Alleging It Blocked Competing COVID-19 Tracker Apps Tossed

Apple COVID-19 Tracking App Class Action Lawsuit Overview:

• Who: Apple has dodged a class action lawsuit filed by developers who made a COVID-19 tracking app.
• Why: A judge has tossed the case, saying the app developers’ allegations that Apple made up fake excuses to block certain COVID-19 tracing apps from the App Store were not adequately proven.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was heard in a California federal court.

Apple has beaten a class action lawsuit that would have forced it to allow more coronavirus tracking apps on its app store after denying that it blocks the apps so that its own COVID-19 tracker is more successful.

In a decision filed Nov. 30 in a California federal court, U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen sided with the tech giant, agreeing to toss antitrust claims filed against it.

Judge Chen said the plaintiffs—who are app developers—haven’t met the threshold to proceed with the class action as they had failed to adequately explain the market or allege an antitrust injury. 

He slammed some of the plaintiffs’ claims as being “vague and conclusory.”

Coronavirus Reporter Filed the $800M Antitrust Class Action Lawsuit 

Lead plaintiff Coronavirus Reporter first lodged the $800 million class action lawsuit earlier this year alleging that Apple blocked its virus app so it could corner the market. Since then, two other developer plaintiffs, CALID, Inc. and Jeffrey D. Isaacs joined the case with similar claims.

Coronavirus Reporter accused Apple of using “arbitrary and capricious standards” to effectively block the virus app offered by the company in March of 2020 as the pandemic swept across the world.  

It said Apple cited a lack of trust in the virus app’s self-report model and a lack of “deeply rooted medical credentials” when it blocked access to its app store; however, the company allegedly rolled out a similar virus app during the summer.  

The plaintiffs had sought an injunction that would bar Apple from blocking third-party apps from the App Store with Isaacs alleging that Apple has too much power as it gets to decide which apps get to be distributed to a market of 180 million App Store users in the United States. 

However Apple hit back, arguing that it doesn’t have the obligation to distribute apps that are inconsistent with its guidelines. 

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The plaintiffs are represented by Keith Mathews of Associated Attorneys of New England. Jeffrey D. Isaacs is representing himself. 

The Apple COVID-19 Tracker App Class Action Lawsuit is Coronavirus Reporter v. Apple Inc., Case No. 3:21-cv-05567, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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