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“While we respect the European Commission, the facts simply don’t support this decision,” it said.
The EU order ends a nearly four-year investigation into Apple’s restrictions for app developers that sell services through its App Store. While regulators have been reluctant to challenge the “Apple tax” — the fee Apple charges developers — they have taken aim at Apple’s terms for developers.
Spotify sparked the probe with a 2019 complaint that Apple unfairly favored its own music services over rivals.
The Commission narrowed its case last year to focus on Apple’s anti-steering requirements that restrict how app developers can tell users how to avoid buying a subscription on the App Store and paying the fee to Apple.
From March 7, Apple and other Big Tech companies must also comply with new EU rules, the Digital Markets Act, to open up their services. Apple said last January it would change its billing conditions and allow alternative app stores on its devices for the first time. Spotify and others have slammed the changes as meaningless.
The company argued that changing its terms and conditions would only cement Spotify as the dominant music streaming service.
Apple, one of the world’s most valuable companies, has also offered to settle charges over its payment technology for devices. Separately it’s waiting for a final court ruling on its tax state aid row with the Commission which ruled in 2018 that the company’s tax arrangements with Ireland were illegal. A lower court struck down the EU decision in 2020.
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