Apple has been fined €1.8bn (£1.54bn) by the EU for favouring its own music streaming service rather than rivals.
Apple didn’t fully inform their device users there were alternative and cheaper subscription services for more than a decade, said the EU executive, the European Commission.
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As a result, iPhone and iPad users paid “significantly higher prices for music streaming subscriptions”, it said, and Apple abused its dominant position as the provider of music streaming services in its app store.
The fine has been issued due to a complaint by streaming service Spotify which then launched a five-year EU investigation focused on how Apple prevented app developers from telling users of cheaper ways to pay for subscriptions without going through an app.
It found that Apple stopped streaming services, such as Spotify, from letting users know the cost of non-Apple subscription offers.
The tech giant banned app makers from “fully informing iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services outside of the app,” said the EU’s competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager.
“This is illegal, and it has impacted millions of European consumers.”
To comply with the finding, Apple said it will allow iPhone users in Europe to use app stores other than its own and enable developers to offer alternative payment systems.
It is likely it will appeal.
“The decision was reached despite the commission’s failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast.”
While the sum is significant, it accounts for only 0.5% of Apple’s worldwide revenue and it could have been fined 10% of global turnover.
There’s going to be a direct benefit to the UK from the fine. As it was still a member of the EU when the investigation was launched and Apple was perpetrating the wrong, it will be one of the 28 countries sharing in the sum Apple pays.
Sales through the app store are a lucrative part of Apple’s business as it charges 30% fee on all purchases.
It’s first time it has been subject to an EU anti-monopoly law levy and the third largest one issued by the commission.
The largest was the €4.34bn (£3.8bn) issued against Google for abusing its control of the Android operating system by forcing vendors to pre-install apps.
From Thursday this week such examinations and fines will not take place as mobile phone makers will be required to have other payment methods and app stores within their operating systems as part of the Digital Markets Act.
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