The European Union has fined Apple a whopping €1.84 billion for violating antitrust rules in the music streaming services market on its mobile platform, iOS. The penalty is a result of Apple’s application of anti-steering provisions, which imposed restrictions on music streaming apps from informing consumers about cheaper offers outside Apple’s App Store.
Key Takeaway
Apple has been fined €1.84 billion by the EU for violating antitrust rules in the music streaming services market on its mobile platform, iOS, due to its application of anti-steering provisions.
EU’s Decision
The European Commission found that Apple’s rules prevented European consumers from making free choices and ended up harming them. The restrictions withheld critical information from consumers, preventing them from effectively using or making informed choices. This led to some consumers paying more, while others couldn’t subscribe to their preferred music streaming provider.
Spotify’s Complaint
The penalty follows a complaint by Spotify in March 2019, which accused Apple of limiting choice and stifling innovation at the expense of user experience. The EU’s formal antitrust investigation of the App Store in June 2020 raised concerns about conditions and restrictions applied by Apple, leading to the current decision.
Apple’s Response
Apple has responded to the Commission’s antitrust decision with a blog post, criticizing the EU’s failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm and accusing Spotify of attempting to rewrite the rules of the App Store to suit its commercial interests.
