KUALA LUMPUR – The European Commission has issued its third largest antitrust fine in eight years – this time penalising Apple 1.84 billion euros (RM9.43 billion) for restricting music streaming rivals on its App Store.
This is seen as a special victory for Spotify after it filed a complaint in 2019.
The commission said the App Store restrictions run afoul of fair trade conditions, a novel argument in any antitrust case.
The steep fine, as described by European Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager, comprised a 40 million euros “parking ticket” while 1.8 billion euros will serve as a deterrent.
She added that 1.84 billion euros total is equivalent to 0.5% of Apple’s global turnover.
The iPhone maker said it would appeal the decision even though the proceedings will take another few years. In the meantime, Apple has to pay the penalty and comply with the ruling.
However, Apple slammed the commission, saying the biggest beneficiary is Spotify, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden.
Over the years, the regulator has fined Google a total 8.25 billion euros over three cases – 2019 (1.49 billion euros), 2018 (4.34 billion euros) and 2017 (2.42 billion euros). – March 5, 2024