Apple risks being fined in the EU. Apple Inc. risks paying a fine worth 500 million euros in the European Union following a regulator investigation into alleged monopoly on the App Store. The fine is Apple’s first in the European Union and will be imposed after the bloc’s watchdog found that Apple violated competition rules by preventing rival music services, including Spotify, from informing users that there were cheaper alternatives outside the App Store.
When contacted for comment, Apple pointed to previous statements saying that the App Store had helped Spotify become the top music streaming service across Europe.
The European Union’s investigation into Apple’s App Store was sparked by a complaint nearly four years ago from Spotify, which stated that it was forced to raise the price of its monthly subscriptions to cover costs related to Apple’s alleged stranglehold over how the App Store operates.
In a closed-door meeting between European Union officials and Apple in June last year, the tech company told regulators it had addressed any potential competition concerns arising from Spotify’s complaint.
In a separate probe, Apple will accept a settlement proposal in a European Union investigation into its tap-and-pay technology.
Apple risks being fined in the EU. The European Commission is ready to accept an offer from Apple to open access to near-field communications chips in iPhones to rival digital wallets, after market tests received positive feedback.
Apple’s move to settle the case comes after the European Union watchdog previously raised formal concerns that the company had restricted access to the technology, an alleged abuse of its market power.