Do, 16:35·Software·fen
If you look for the origins of why Apple worked its way up from a supporting actor to the main defendant in various global antitrust proceedings, there were two main events. On the one hand, Epic’s uprising in the App Store with its own billing system caused a great stir, but on the other hand, the dispute with Spotify should be mentioned. The actual point of criticism is easily explained. Apple charges 9.99 euros per month for Apple Music, which was also the case with Spotify for a long time. However, since Apple does not allow its direct competitor to bill for subscriptions via the app itself, Spotify would either earn 30 percent less than Apple or would have to increase prices by 30 percent – both of which are a competitive disadvantage.
Competition authorities became aware of Apple
Spotify’s complaint was intended to ensure that the EU took a closer look at Apple and examined its business practices. At the same time, Apple also prohibited Spotify from mentioning in the app that subscriptions can be taken out via the website or that special offers are currently available. This did not even involve direct links to an external store, but rather a mere mention in the description. After a long and intensive investigation, the case was clear to the EU Commission, and due to the clearly anti-competitive behavior and obvious false statements in the proceedings, Apple was fined 1.8 billion euros.
Obstruction of app updates
Apple then indirectly took revenge and stopped releasing Spotify updates in the App Store without comment. These were the updates that included references to external subscriptions – something that Apple was simply no longer allowed to prohibit under current legislation.
Months later: Spotify is now allowed to communicate freely in the app
Five months have now passed before Spotify can officially confirm that from the next update, the app will contain specific information about how and where to access your subscription. There is still no link, because as recently reported, a link in the app means that Apple is holding out its hand with a commission of almost 30 percent. Customers in the EU also receive information about price promotions and the current tariffs – outside the EU, Spotify is still not allowed to display this in the app.
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