A massive $2 billion fine was imposed upon Apple in Europe, as the European Commission deemed the company in violation of antitrust laws for its App Store restrictions and unfair behavior in the market. However, Apple is not backing down, and the company's response is going all out against Spotify, known for its recent complaint against the App Store policies.
The renowned Big Tech from Cupertino, California immediately released its response to this massive fine, defending its rules and stating that the Digital Markets Act is not yet in full effect.
Apple vs. Spotify: Cupertino Responds Amidst EU Fine
(Photo : LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)
Apple shared a new press release which was its immediate response to the European Commission fine against them, stemming from Spotify's complaint which it sent to the EU last week. Here, Apple took many jabs against Spotify, claiming that its music streaming platform is the "largest digital music business in the world," with the platform standing "at the top."
Moreover, Apple claimed that Spotify "pays Apple nothing," pointing to the Swedish streaming platform's policy that no longer accepts App Store payments and asks customers to subscribe via their website or third-party channels on iOS.
This is despite the massive help Apple gave Spotify, as it said, they still provided access to Cupertino's 250,000 APIs, including features like Siri, CarPlay, Apple Watch, AirPlay, and more to the Swedish company.
Apple claimed Spotify wanted more, bending the rules in their favor, and even went as far as to say that the streaming company is in coordination with the European Commission against Apple. The Big Tech claimed that over the next eight years since Spotify first worked with the EU in 2015, there were three different cases built against them, with Apple claiming that there was no "evidence of consumer harm" or "anti-competitive behavior."
Moreover, Apple claimed that the Commission issued this fine before the DMA came into effect, stating that this decision "is not grounded in existing competition law."
Apple's EU DMA Changes
Amidst the looming enforcement of the European Union's Digital Markets Act as a law in the region, several reports were claiming Apple's upcoming changes that would adhere to its legislation. However, one that was highlighted was Apple's new charge against developers on the App Store, particularly for those who will allow sideloading of their apps, a policy which many protested.
The Cupertino giant released a post regarding the changes that will arrive, centering on the iOS, App Store, macOS, iPadOS, and the NFC feature of the iPhones to be available for EU developers to use.
Several companies have their complaints against Apple for the reported policies it will enforce come to the D-day, a.k.a. on March 15 when the DMA would go into full effect. In the latest EU fine about the antitrust against Apple, the company takes a stand for its policies, also going against Spotify which it claimed to be in collaboration with the EU to throw cases like this against them, resulting in a whopping $2 billion charge.
