Spotify accuses Apple of non-competitive behaviour over the release of a single subscription to its Apple One services

Spotify accuses Apple of non-competitive behaviour over the release of a single subscription to its Apple One services
Photo: https://www.ft.com/content/7738fdd8-e0c3-4090-8cc9-7d4b53ff3afb 21.09.2020 751

The streaming service is unhappy with the single subscription update, which was unveiled on the 15th of September. The Swedish company believes that it creates a non-competitive environment. This is not the first time Apple was accused of non-competitive behaviour. Other companies also oppose Apple's policies, including Epic Games and Telegram.
Spotify is still the number 1 streaming service: approximately 300 million people use it; its algorithms for selecting music are considered by many to be the best. Apple Music has about 60 million subscribers, but it is growing pretty fast, and last year in the US it took over Spotify.

Until recently, iPhone and iPad owners could buy additional space in iCloud, subscribe to music, Apple Arcade or TV. But on Tuesday, Apple presented a single subscription - now you can get all the services at once. By offering bundled services at a discount, the company reduces the likelihood of people unsubscribing at the next renewal of their monthly subscription.
According to Apple, it’s new service Apple One is primarily about user-friendliness. And it's not aimed to become the end for Spotify.

Spotify previously complained about Apple to the European Commission - the service was unhappy with the 30% commission in the App Store, which supposedly gives Apple Music a competitive advantage. Later this has also become an issue between Apple and Epic Games, which releases the game Fortnite and the Unreal Engine. Now companies are suing, and the outcome of the case could be decisive for the industry. Whether there is a violation of antitrust laws or not - is up to the court to decide.

However, the commissioner for the internal market of the European Commission Thierry Breton has already announced that it intends to strengthen control over the world's largest digital companies. According to the commission plans to take a closer look at companies, such as Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google. "We need better control over these platforms," Breton told the Financial Times.

By the end of this year, the European Commission will introduce new rules that will allow better control over the activities of large digital platforms, according to the Belgian agency Belga. It's about fighting disinformation and protecting personal data. The rules will also be aimed at protecting smaller competitors of digital giants. Sanctions will be possible if large platforms force users to limit the use of their services.

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