Apple will argue against a revised EU antitrust charge and a possible fine on Friday. The charge alleges that Apple prevents music streaming companies like Spotify from telling users about other ways to buy subscriptions outside of Apple’s App Store. The company will present its case to senior European Commission officials and their counterparts at national competition agencies at a closed hearing in Brussels.
EU antitrust enforcers earlier this year boosted their case against the company’s so-called anti-steering obligations, but dropped an earlier charge against Apple’s requirement that developers use its in-app payment system.
The Commission said the anti-steering obligations breach EU rules against unfair trading conditions, a relatively novel legal argument in an antitrust case.
Apple has said there is no merit in the case triggered by a Spotify complaint in 2019, pointing to the Swedish music streaming service’s dominant market share in Europe, where Apple Music trails in third or fourth place in most EU countries.
Its other argument is that it has revised rules to allow reader apps such as Spotify and Netflix to include links to their website for sign-ups and user payments, allowing app developers to bypass its controversial 30% App Store fee.
MacDailyNews Take: Spotify can’t compete, so they litigate.
It’s easier to litigate than to compete. Spotify is a lazy company. – MacDailyNews, June 25, 2019
Spotify wants all of the benefits of Apple’s App Store for free.
Whiners forever. Spotify’ll be bleating like sheep as they disappear into the ether. – MacDailyNews, September 16, 2020
See also: Apple: We collect fees on less than 1% of Spotify users – June 25, 2019
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