The EU will report to investigate Apple after contest complaint from Spotify – TechCrunch
The splash between Spotify and Apple will focus on a new EU survey, according to a FT report.
In the newspaper, it was reported that the European Commission (EC), the EU regulatory body is planning to launch a competition survey on Spotify's claiming that the iPhone maker is using his position as gatekeeper in the App Store to "deliberately use other app developers . "
In a complaint sent to EF Spotify, in March, Apple has "tilted to the playing field" by operating iOS, the platform and the App Store for deployment, as well as its own Spotify competitor, Apple Music.
Especially Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has said that Apple "locks" developers and their platform, which includes a 30 percent cut in app spending. I also claimed that Apple Music has unfair advantages over rivals as Spotify, while expressing concern that Apple is controlling communication between users and app publishers, "including placing unfair restrictions on marketing and promotional campaigns."
Spotify's announcement was second to none ̵[ads1]1; I claimed that many other developers feel the same way, but will not upset Apple by talking. The EU is sure to tap into the quiet base if the investigation actually takes place as FT claims.
Apple bites Spotify's claims, but the answer was more of a feedback – or alternative angle – on those complaints. Apple did not directly address any of the requirements that Spotify put forward, and they include alternative payment methods (offered in the Google Play store) and equal treatment of Apple apps and those of third parties such as Spotify.
The EU has gained a reputation as a tough opponent as reining in American tech giants.
Apart from his GDPR initiative, it has a story of taking action on apparent monopolies in technology.
Google fined € 1.49 billion ($ 1.67 billion) this year over antitrust violations in search engine marketing, for example. Google was fined a record $ 5 billion last year over Android abuse and there have been calls to look at breaking the search company up. Anyway, Facebook has come under the spotlight for a number of privacy issues, especially around choices.
Pressures from the EU have already led to social networks introducing clear conditions for the use of data for advertising, while also changing their rules limiting overseas advertising to EU elections by concern from Brussels.
Despite what anyone in the United States may think, the EU competitor commissioner Margrethe Vestager has publicly stated that she is against breaking up companies. Instead, Vestager has promised to regulate data access.
"In order to break up a company it would be very far-reaching to break up private property and you must have a very strong case that it would produce better results for consumers in the market than what you can do with more common tools. Has to do with private property. Companies that are built and invested in and become successful because of their innovation, "she said in an interview at SXSW earlier this year.
