According to the European Commission, an EU authority, Apple failed to fully notify its device users that there were alternative and less expensive subscription services available for over ten years.
Users of the iPhone and iPad had to pay “significantly higher prices for music streaming subscriptions” as a result, according to the report, and Apple had exploited its dominant position in the app store as the supplier of music streaming services.
The streaming service Spotify filed a complaint, prompting a five-year EU investigation into how Apple had blocked app developers from informing customers of less expensive methods to pay for subscriptions outside of apps. This led to the imposition of the fine.
It was discovered that Apple had prevented streaming providers, like Spotify, from informing customers of the price of non-Apple subscription deals.
