EU consumers can unsubscribe to Amazon Prime in two clicks

The new Amazon cancellation process includes a “prominent and clear” cancel button and short explanatory text. (Source: The Next Web)

It will be much easier for consumers in the EU to unsubscribe to Amazon Prime. It'll now let EU and European Economic Area consumers unsubscribe from the service with just two clicks, using a prominent and actual "cancel" button. The last option required several steps and a method the EU calls "confirm shaming" that makes users feel like they'll lose out if they continue the process.

Extensive lobbying by EU and EEA consumer organizations helped bring about this change. They even penned a 2021 report entitled, "You Can Log Out, But You Can Never Leave." This is a change we definitely hope to see implemented on more platforms and in more countries.

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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 

EU will review Apple’s acquisition of music discovery app Shazam

We reported back in December that Apple was set to buy music discover app Shazam. The tech giant reportedly signed a US$400m acquisition deal with the London-based company. And now it seems the European Commission wants to investigate the deal following requests from seven countries that fear the agreement will “adversely affect competition.” The seven petitioners include Austria, France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. When Apple made the announcement last year, it said the deal will be less than the “turnover threshold” for the European Commission. However, it’s above the merger notification threshold for Austria, which is leading the quorum of countries worried about the deal.

This investigation forces Apple to let the EU authorities know about the deal and have to wait for the investigation into the deal’s implications. The EC has up to 35 working days for the initial investigations and another 105 working days if there are serious concerns that need to be looked into. Apple will then have the opportunity for approval by answering and addressing the concerns.

Source: The Guardian

EU fines Google a whopping $2.7 billion for skewing shopping search results

The EU doesn't suffer fools lightly and usually hits companies with strict fines and sanctions for engaging in anti-competitive and monopolistic practices.

The largest fine to date was 2.42bn euros ($2.7bn; £2.1bn)  charged to Google by the European Commission after it ruled the company had abused its power by promoting its own shopping comparison service at the top of search results.

"What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules," declared Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's Competition Commissioner. "It has denied other companies the chance to compete on their merits and to innovate, and most importantly it has denied European consumers the benefits of competition, genuine choice and innovation."

So, shady practices by companies that get the pass in other countries are met with serious repercussions in the EU. Microsoft was fined US $ 794 million in 2004 for its antitrust case and Apple was dinged for $14.5 billion just last year for back taxes. Google's 2.7 billion dollar fine is the biggest.

Google plans to appeal. "We respectfully disagree with the conclusions announced today. We will review the Commission's decision in detail as we consider an appeal, and we look forward to continuing to make our case."

Source: BBC.com