Apple hit with an appalling 2 billion euro

The European Commission has fined Applle more than 1,8 billion euros for abusing its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming applications to iPhone and iPad users (iOS users) through its App Store. This is what we learn from a note from the European Commission. The important fine is about 2 billion USD. Nova Agency reported the news

The European Commission found that Apple applied restrictions to app developers by preventing them from informing iOS users about alternative, cheaper music subscription services available outside the app (anti-steering provisions). This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. “For a decade, Apple has abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming applications through the App Store.

It is expected that this is not the only antitrust lawsuit that affects, or will affect, Apple; it is expected that U.S. authorities will also launch a lawsuit similar to the European one in March.

It did this by limiting developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside the Apple ecosystem. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules, for which today we have fined Apple more than 1,8 billion euros,” said the European Commission’s Executive Vice President and Head of Competition Policy, Margrethe Vestager.

Apple prohibits music streaming app developers from fully informing users about alternative, cheaper subscription services available outside of the app. This is what was revealed by an investigation conducted by the European Commission, which led Brussels to apply a fine of over 1.8 billion euros to Apple for abuse of a dominant position. According to the EU executive, Apple is currently the only provider of an App Store where developers can distribute their applications to iOS users across the European Economic Area (EEA). “Apple controls every aspect of the iOS user experience and establishes the terms and conditions that developers must respect to be present on the App Store and be able to reach iOS users in the See,” specifies the European Commission press release.

The Commission’s investigation found that Apple prohibits developers of music streaming apps from fully informing iOS users about alternative, cheaper music subscription services available outside of the app and from providing instructions on how to subscribe to those offers. In particular, the anti-steering provisions prohibit app developers from: informing iOS users within their applications about the prices of subscription offers available on the Internet outside the application; informing iOS users within their apps about price differences between in-app subscriptions sold through Apple’s purchasing mechanism and those available elsewhere; and including links in their apps that take iOS users to the app developer’s website where they can purchase alternative subscriptions. App developers were also prevented from contacting their newly acquired users, for example, by email, to inform them about alternative pricing options after creating an account, the Brussels executive specifies.