Spotify is becoming increasingly impatient in the fight against Apple’s market power: the iPhone manufacturer’s “anti-competitive behavior” must finally be stopped, the music streaming market leader emphasized on Wednesday. Apple continues to harm developers and end customers because regulators are far too hesitant and show no “decisive action,” according to a Spotify statement.
In association with other companies – including the streaming service Deezer, but also companies from other sectors such as the encryption provider Proton – Spotify has again written an open letter to the EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager and urged her to take quick action against Gatekeeper and ” specifically Apple” prompted.
Spotify’s antitrust complaint dates back almost four years
Apple restricts developers and companies with its app specifications. Neither a separate payment interface in apps is possible, nor free communication with one’s own customers. The companies also complain about “arbitrary changes” in the specifications. The EU must end Apple’s abusive practices it says in the letter. Any attempts by Apple to circumvent the new Digital Market Act (DMA) rules by citing privacy and security concerns should be rejected.
It has been almost four years since Spotify lodged a complaint against Apple with the EU Commission. In 2021, after an examination, the Commission came to the preliminary conclusion that Apple is distorting competition in the music streaming sector, partly because apps are only allowed to process in-app purchases via the platform operator’s payment interface. Apple automatically keeps a commission of up to 30 percent. Practically nothing has happened since then, Spotify complains.
Daniel Ek, head of the streaming service, last November called on regulators to intervene. Spotify had previously tried to integrate a sales platform for audio books into its iOS app, but apparently failed because of Apple’s set of rules – such digital sales are only possible via Apple’s in-app purchase interface and by paying the commission.
No fundamental app store changes
Under pressure from lawsuits and regulators, Apple has recently made minor concessions to its App Store requirements. Interfaces for the integration of external payment services in apps are now also available in the first countries. Even then, Apple insists that app providers have to pay a commission that is only a few percentage points lower.
(lbe)
