Spotify Vs. Apple Heads Back To EU Regulator's Court After iPhone Maker Keeps Blocking In-App Pricing Information Updates

Spotify Technology SA SPOT is intensifying its legal battle with Apple Inc. AAPL in the European Union, with the European Commission now considering a second investigation into Apple’s new music streaming app policy.

What Happened: Spotify has been making changes to its app, such as displaying pricing information in-app for EU users, to comply with the European Commission’s antitrust ruling against Apple, reported The Verge.

The Commission fined Apple $1.95 billion in March for anti-steering rules that hindered competition and consumer choice.

Apple responded by introducing a new entitlement program, which would allow music streaming apps to include external links to purchases but with a 27% commission.

Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.

When Spotify tried to update its app to bypass this fee, Apple rejected the update, leading to the dispute being referred back to the European Commission.

Spotify’s associate general counsel, Harry Clarke, stated that the company’s primary goal is to improve user experience and communication about prices and plans.

See Also: Elon Musk Agrees ‘Meta Can’t Be Trusted’ After Zuckerberg-Led Social Media Giant Hit With $37M Fine Over Data Sharing Practices

Apple’s changes have led to an investigation by the Commission, and if any wrongdoing is found, it could face two enforcement actions in the EU. Spotify is confident that the EU will act in its favor.

Why It Matters: The ongoing legal battle between Spotify and Apple in the EU has been a long-standing issue. It began with Spotify’s accusations against Apple for subverting the goals of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) through its proposed “Alternative App Store” changes.

This led to a backlash from other tech giants like Meta Platforms Inc. and Microsoft Corp.

Apple's "Alternative App Store" model for its EU users could cost companies like Meta Platforms millions of dollars in yearly payments, according to a Benzinga analysis.

Price Action: Spotify's stock was up 1.12% in premarket trading on Thursday, while Apple's stock was down 0.1%, according to Benzinga Pro.

Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next: Chuck Schumer Offers To Provide AI Regulation Framework For Healthcare, Labor Rights, And ‘Doomsday Scenarios’ As US Looks To Catch Up With EU

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo by David Švihovec on Unsplash

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
Comments
Loading...
Posted In: EntertainmentEquitiesNewsLegalMarketsTechAppleAppleverseConsumer TechDigital markets ActEuropean UnionSoftware & Apps
Benzinga simplifies the market for smarter investing

Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.

Join Now: Free!