Spotify files antitrust complaint in the EU over the ‘Apple tax’

Spotify thinks the heavily-criticized “Apple tax” is the company’s way of edging out its competition.  It has taken to filing an antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Union. Spotify alleges that Apple is stifling innovation and limiting consumer choice with the rules it imposes on the App Store. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek zeroed in specifically on the 30 percent cut Apple imposes on subscriptions. According to Ek, this “tax” is designed to harm the streaming services that compete against Apple’s own service. Ek says it forces their company to “artificially inflate” prices “well above the price of Apple Music.” But if it doesn’t comply, then Apple applies “a series of technical and experience-limiting restrictions” against Spotify, which makes the experience on its app an inferior one. Ek adds that Apple “routinely blocks our experience-enhancing upgrades” and locks them and other competitors from Apple products and services like Siri, Apple Watch, and HomePod. 

On top of launching the complaint, Spotify launched a press campaign that includes a dedicated website that focuses on Apple’s “unfair behaviour” as well as a YouTube video (which you can see above) that explained the company’s grievances. We’re not sure what would come out of the complaint but a spokesperson for the European Commission acknowledged that it had received the complaint and is “assessing [it] under our standard procedures.” 

Source: The Verge