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EU Accuses Apple Of Antitrust Breach After Spotify Complaint

By  |  April 30, 2021

European Union regulators accused Apple on Friday, April 30, of violating the bloc’s antitrust laws, alleging the iPhone maker distorts competition for music streaming by imposing unfair rules for rival services in its App Store.

The EU’s executive Commission stated it objected to Apple’s rules for music streaming services that compete with its Apple Music service, claiming they end up costing consumers more and limiting their choices.

The charges underscore the long-running feud over app payments between Apple and popular music streaming service Spotify, which filed a complaint that sparked the investigation – one of four the company is facing from the EU. Regulators in Brussels are also investigating other big US tech companies like Amazon and Google, amid a growing global movement to rein in their power.

The EU’s competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, outlined two main concerns. One centers on Apple’s practice of forcing app developers selling digital content to use its in-house payment system, which charges a 30% commission on all subscriptions.