Apple eases App Store rules under court pressure

Apple on Friday relaxed its App Store payment rules in the face of a scathing court order, with Spotify quick to reap the benefit.Apple’s update to its App Store guidelines let developers know they could now provide links to outside payment platforms, allowing people to buy apps featured in its US online shop without paying through the App Store.

The rule change came just two days after a US judge accused Apple of defying an order to loosen its grip on the App Store payment system to the point that criminal charges could be warranted.

Music streaming…