Apple faces EU charge over App Store rules as regulators narrow case

[February 28, 2023]  By Foo Yun Chee and Sudip Kar-Gupta
 
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -EU antitrust regulators on Tuesday narrowed their case against Apple, saying its App Store rules that prevent developers from informing users of other purchasing options violate the bloc's rules against unfair trading conditions.  

Silhouette of a mobile user seen next to a screen projection of the Apple logo in this picture illustration taken March 28, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

The European Commission, which acts as the executive for the 27-country European Union, dropped an earlier charge that targeted Apple's rules which require developers to use its own in-app payment system.

The EU competition watchdog said Apple's so-called "anti-steering obligations" for developers are "neither necessary nor proportionate for the provision of the App Store on iPhones and iPads and that they are detrimental to users of music streaming services on Apple's mobile devices who may end up paying more".

Apple said it was pleased the Commission had narrowed the case and it would respond to the regulator's concerns.

The case was triggered by Spotify, which complained Apple unfairly restricted rivals to its own music streaming service Apple Music on iPhones.

That prompted the Commission to open a case and issue a charge sheet against Apple in April 2021 over its anti-steering mechanism and in-app payment system.

The Commission said Tuesday's charge sheet, known as a statement of objections, would replace the 2021 document.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee and Sudip Kar-GuptaEditng by Mark Potter)

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