The European Union’s Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager announced on June 3 that the bloc’s regulators have not yet decided how to respond to Spotify’s complaint about Apple. They first need to get a response from the iPhone maker.
“We are looking into that and we have been asking questions around in that market but of course also Apple themselves, for them to answer the allegations. And when they come back, we will know more,” Vestager told reporters on the side-lines of an OECD conference.
As reported by the Reuters news agency, the World No.1 music streaming service Spotify complained to the European Commission in March that Apple unfairly limits competitors to its Apple Music streaming service. It also criticized Apple’s 30% fee levied on content-based service providers for using its in-app purchase system (IAP).
As Commissioner, she can slap hefty fines on companies for breaching EU antitrust rules and also order them to amend business practices. Three years ago, Vestager ordered Apple to repay about €13bn in unfair tax incentives to Ireland.
