A federal judge has referred Apple to a criminal prosecutor for allegedly violating a legal order to amend its App Store rules, marking a significant setback in its ongoing legal battle with Epic Games. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accused Apple of deliberately creating anti-competitive barriers to maintain its revenue, stating that a finance executive lied under oath about compliance efforts. Despite changes to its payment policies, the judge found that Apple continued to impose fees that discouraged developers, leading to her decision for immediate compliance and potential criminal contempt proceedings.