Apple Lost Our Trust: Emails, Lies, and a Rotten Core

Once a champion of creativity and user experience, Apple Inc. now finds itself unraveling in the public eye—its sleek marketing betrayed by the contents of its own inbox. A storm of revelations from the Epic Games antitrust case and a scathing federal court ruling has exposed what many feared: Apple doesn’t just ignore its developers and users—it strategically exploits them.

"Scare Screens" and a 27% Money Grab
After being legally ordered in 2021 to allow developers to direct users to alternative payment options, Apple didn’t reform. It retaliated.
Internal documents revealed Apple’s plan to slap developers with a 27% commission on out-of-app purchases—just 3% less than the rate they were already charging. On top of that, they created "scare screens"—deliberately jarring full-page warnings designed to discourage users from using third-party payment links.
“We should make the experience so inconvenient that people will stay in the App Store.” – internal Apple discussion (as cited in The Verge)
This was not innovation. It was obstruction.

False Testimony and Executive Deceit
Apple didn’t stop at manipulation. It took to lying under oath.
Apple VP of Finance, Alex Roman, testified that the 27% fee wasn't tied to discouraging third-party links. But internal emails showed otherwise. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers didn’t mince words when she referred Apple to the DOJ for potential criminal contempt, citing “outright falsehoods” in their testimony.
“Apple has chosen to interpret the Injunction in a way that maintains its revenue at the expense of complying with the court’s order.” – Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers “The Court finds Apple in civil contempt.” – Ruling, April 2025

Private Disdain for Developers
Behind closed doors, Apple’s attitude toward the very developers who built the App Store ecosystem was toxic and dismissive.
“I know we don’t provide an SLA—we’ve made that very clear to Epic.” – Apple Games Manager, Mark Grimm “Let’s make them beg for reinstatement.” – Apple exec during Epic ban deliberations “We’ll just say it’s about safety and privacy. No one reads the fine print.” – Internal Apple email, exposed in discovery

These were not isolated comments. They reflect a corporate culture that treats independent creators as disposable and customers as data points, not people.
Developers Strike Back
In May 2025, more than 100,000 developers joined a class-action lawsuit against Apple, alleging financial harm, illegal commissions, and anti-competitive behavior. The case seeks billions in restitution and real reform.

Rotting from the Core
Apple’s actions prove that behind the glass and aluminum sheen lies a company more obsessed with maintaining its margins than honoring its mission. From lying to a federal judge to coercing developers with digital chokeholds, Apple has eroded the very trust it was built upon.
This isn’t about one lawsuit. It’s about systemic betrayal.
Apple didn’t just lose in court. Apple lost us.