EU: Complaint filed over data “gatekeepers”

In a letter sent to the European Union’s antitrust body, the chief executives of Spotify, streaming music firm Deezer, startup investor Rocket Internet and other Europe-based companies claim dominant internet platforms”  can and do abuse their privileged position,” reports the Financial Times.

The European companies complain some mobile operating systems, app stores and search engines abuse their commanding marketshare to act as “gatekeepers” to consumer choice, thus impeding segment rivals attempting to market products that compete with first-party services, the letter says.

While not named in the letter, Apple and Google are clearly targets of the complaint. Together, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android control more than 90 percent of the mobile operating system market and maintain a set of terms and conditions that third-party apps must follow in order to market their wares on the respective app stores.

In particular, internet companies argue they are not able to access analytics data when customers sign up for service through app store portals. Further, app store owners allegedly promote their own products ahead of third-party offerings. For example, Apple often publishes App Store banners advertising Apple Music, a competitor to Spotify and Deezer.

Full Content: Apple Insider

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