According to a report published on Sunday morning by the Financial Times, Apple faces a fine of €500 million (equivalent to about $539 million USD) following an investigation by regulators prompted by a complaint from Spotify. The music streaming service alleged that Apple’s policies restrict iPhone apps from informing users about cheaper alternatives to Apple Music.
At the heart of the issue lies Apple’s desire to maintain control over its App Store payment system, effectively confining both apps and users within its ecosystem. Spotify raised its concerns in 2019, leading to a subsequent investigation by the European Union (EU) in the following year. The EU focused its objections on Apple’s prohibition of developers from directing users to external subscription sign-ups within their apps—a policy that Apple revised in 2022 under pressure from regulators in Japan.
While the fine of $539 million appears substantial, the EU initially considered imposing a much larger penalty of nearly $40 billion, equivalent to 10 percent of Apple’s annual global turnover, when it updated its objections last year. In 2020, Apple faced charges exceeding $1 billion, which were later reduced to approximately $366 million by French authorities following an appeal by the company.
Emma Wilson, a representative from Apple, declined to comment on the situation when approached by The Verge, citing company policy. Instead, Wilson referred to previous statements made by another Apple spokesperson, Hannah Smith, who expressed hope in February of the preceding year that the European Commission would cease pursuing the case, which Smith argued “has no merit.” Lea Zuber, a spokesperson for the European Commission, chose not to provide a comment on the matter.
