EU fines Apple €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules
EU fines Apple €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules
It comes after Spotify complained about a block on telling users about cheaper alternatives to app store.
The penalty is for preventing Spotify and other music streaming services from informing users of payment options outside the Apple app store.
The European Commission's decision was triggered by a complaint by the Swedish music streaming service over this restriction and Apple's 30% fee.
The EU competition enforcer said Apple abused its dominant position in the market for a decade.
Margrethe Vestager said, Apple had done this by "restricting developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem.
Genuine question: Does the EU also require online stores like Amazon and eBay to inform customers that they could also make a purchase from the seller's own website?
For example, if I search Amazon for a Sony a7R iii, I could buy it from Amazon or 6Ave Electronics. I could also go to 6Ave's website to buy it. Isn't 6Ave paying Amazon a fee whereas Amazon has the advantage of selling the item without the fee? I mean, the camera is listed as $1,998 on Amazon but 6Ave's website is selling it for $1,695.
Does the EU also require online stores like Amazon and eBay to inform customers that they could also make a purchase from the seller's own website?
That's not what this was about. Apple prevented companies/apps from saying that there's an alternative way to pay.
That isn't the same as requiring that there's an alternative way to pay. It also isn't the same as referring to other stores.
The difference lies in the fact that you NEED to be on the app store to be on iPhones, and that Apple has a competing service to Spotify (Apple Music) that can be more profitable and easier to sign up for thanks to having no 30% fee
The comparison is pretty poor, and I'm afraid you are not familiar enough with the topic. If I make an application with a subscription service, it must be sold on the play/apple store to reach users. Google/apple get a 30% cut of any subscriptions I sell, meaning if I make $10, they get $3. Since iOS/Android own 99+% of the smartphone OS market, there is no other alternative. So you say, "I understand they're processing and facilitating the payment, but 30% of my earnings is way too much! I can process my own payments and have people sign up on my own website. When people go to purchase a subscription, I'll just redirect them to their browser to complete the transaction..."
That's what Apple/Google are doing. It's a monopoly.
Does Amazon actively prevent them from doing so?