EU ANTI-TRUST PROBERS QUIZ APP STORE, APPLE PAY

Apple is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators over its App Store and mobile payment system Apple Pay as the bloc turns up the heat on gatekeepers of online platforms on which thousands of companies depend for business, Foo Yun Chee wrote for Reuters on June 17, 2020.

The European Commission (EC) said its investigation would look into Apple’s requirement forcing app developers to sell to customers using its own in-app purchase system and rules preventing them from informing users of cheaper products elsewhere.

The investigation will also cover all apps which compete with Apple in Europe, which could be icloud and gaming apps, following informal information received by regulators. The probe followed Swedish music streaming service Spotify’s complaint last year, which said Apple was unfairly restricting rivals to its own music steaming service Apple Music. Another gripe was the 30% fee levied on app developers.

Spotify welcomed the EU move. A smaller rival filed a similar grievance related to e-books and audiobooks in March this year. “It appears that Apple obtained a ‘gatekeeper’ role when it comes to the distribution of apps and content to users of Apple’s popular devices,” European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.