Apple is facing a substantial fine of approximately €500 million (equivalent to about $539 million USD) in the European Union (EU) for allegedly engaging in anti-competitive practices against Apple Music on the iPhone. The Financial Times reported this morning that the fine stems from an investigation by regulators in Brussels, Belgium, prompted by a complaint filed by Spotify. The complaint alleged that Apple hindered competition by prohibiting apps from informing users about alternative, cheaper music streaming services.
The core issue revolves around Apple’s efforts to maintain control over apps and users within its App Store payment ecosystem. Spotify raised concerns in 2019, asserting that Apple’s policies created barriers to competition against its own Apple Music service. This led to an EU investigation the following year. The EU’s objections were narrowed down to focus on Apple’s refusal to allow developers to include links to their own subscription sign-ups within their apps—a policy that Apple revised in 2022 following regulatory pressure in Japan.
While €500 million may seem significant, the EU had initially considered imposing a much larger fine 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 a fine exceeding $1 billion, but French authorities reduced it to approximately $366 million after the company lodged an appeal.
When approached for comment, Apple representative Emma Wilson declined to provide specifics, stating that the company does not comment on speculation. She directed inquiries to previous statements made by another Apple spokesperson, Hannah Smith, who expressed hope in February of last year that the Commission would cease pursuing the case, asserting it lacked merit. European Commission spokesperson Lea Zuber refrained from offering further comment on the matter.
