Apple reportedly facing €500m fine from the EU over competition concerns

According to a report by The Financial Times, Apple could be facing a €500m fine after being investigated for restricting access to competitor streaming services within its App Store.

The fine is thought to be in conjunction with Apple restricting the ability for competitors - such as Spotify - to link out to an external sign-up system, curbing the reach of competitors and charging a 30% fee for sign-ups via the App Store.

Last year, the European Commission sent a Statement of Objections to Apple, citing "anti-trust" concerns — after it was found that it had blocked app developers from informing users of alternative music subscription options at lower prices outside the app.

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Failure to comply would result in a fine of up to 10% of Apple’s annual worldwide turnover, the statement warned.

The statement followed a complaint filed by Spotify in 2019 claiming that Apple limits choice and competition in the Apple store.

According to The Guardian, Apple justified its choices by pointing out that its app store provides Spotify with access to “hundreds of millions of customers.”

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Though Apple has reportedly “never faced a competition fine from the European Commission,” the company has been fined for antitrust violations by French and Italian authorities in recent years.

Amazon and Google have faced fines for similar offences, with the US Justice Department suing Google for monopolising digital advertising technologies.

In a statement to The Verge, Apple said it would “not be commenting on speculation” around the fine — referring to a previous statement that urged the EU Commission to drop the case, claiming it has "no merit".

Mixmag has contacted representatives for Apple for comment.

Belle Richardson is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter