Apple To Face EU Antitrust Charges Over Spotify Complaint

Apple is set to face antitrust charges in the European Union over a competition complaint made by Spotify about App Store rules, according to reports.

Spotify had alleged back in March 2019 that Apple abused its control over which apps appear in the App Store to restrict competition against its own Apple Music service.

EU regulators opened antitrust probes into Apple in June 2020, investigating the App Store and Apple Pay. If reports come true and EU regulators allege that Apple abused antitrust rules, it would represent the first time the technology giant has faced such charges in the 27-member bloc, as competition concerns stack up worldwide.

European Commission regulators are set to present the charges in the coming weeks, according to a report by Reuters, which first reported the news and cited sources close to the matter. The report stated that the Commission could set out Apple’s suspected violations of antitrust rules in a statement of objections before the summer.

The charges would be linked to a competition complaint made two years ago by music streaming platform Spotify over the rules on Apple’s App Store.

Spotify also stated that Apple’s payment system, Apple Pay, which typically takes a 30% cut of transactions, made it difficult for Apple Music rivals to market themselves.

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