Eu to investigate Spotify’s claims of Apple enforcing biased App Store policies: Report

The EU commission is expected to look into Spotify’s claims that Apple discriminates Spotify and other similar services. A developer is charged 30 percent of their apps’ subscription fee for the first year and 15 percent for the second year. Spotify blamed Apple’s cut for the reason it had to ‘artificially inflate’ the price of its Premium membership to make up for the lost revenue. This would make its services cost more than competing services like Apple Music. Additionally, the music streaming platform claimed that Apple blocks its “experience-enhancing upgrades. Over time, this has included locking Spotify and other competitors out of Apple services such as Siri, HomePod, and Apple Watch.” 

Spotify has a website called Time to Play Fair that lists how Apple’s alleged anti-competitive rules keep Spotify at a disadvantage. The company summarises its wants in three points, “First, apps should be able to compete fairly on the merits, and not based on who owns the App Store. We should all be subject to the same fair set of rules and restrictions—including Apple Music. Second, consumers should have a real choice of payment systems, and not be “locked in” or forced to use systems with discriminatory tariffs such as Apple’s. Finally, app stores should not be allowed to control the communications between services and users, including placing unfair restrictions on marketing and promotions that benefit consumers.”

Via