According to CNN, the European Union has fined Apple $2 billion for allegedly breaking its competition laws. It announced today that it was imposing the fine on Apple for allegedly preventing rival music streaming services from allegedly telling iPhone users that they could find cheaper ways to subscribe outside Apple.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition and digital chief, said Apple had “abused its dominant position” as a distributor of music streaming apps, adding that, as a result, European consumers did not have “a free choice as to where, how and at what prices to buy music streaming subscriptions.”
Apple currently bans app developers from fully informing the users of iOS about cheaper music subscriptions available outside of the app, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said in a statement. For example, developers are not allowed to inform iOS users about the price differences between in app subscriptions and those available for the same streaming service on a website.
Apple has responded that the European Commission’s decision had been reached despite “its failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast.” Apple said in a statement that app developers “compete on a level playing field” on Apple’s app store.Appleplans to appeal the fine.
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