Spotify filed a complaint with European regulators against Apple in 2019. That company forces app builders to use Apple payment systems in the App Store. It charges a 30% commission for this. Spotify should also not point users to other payment methods outside the App Store.
“It’s the image of a company that keeps zigzagging to do nothing,” said Ek. He added that other regulators, including in Japan, the Netherlands and South Korea, have taken Apple on similar issues quite harshly. The Spotify boss urged the Commission to do the same.
“I asked her what I can do to make sure this case is dealt with faster,” FT quotes Ek. “As an entrepreneur, you always want everything to happen yesterday.” The Swede acknowledges that regulatory processes take time. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to speed them up or make more progress.”
After the intervention of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets, Apple previously changed its policy for the App Store in the Netherlands. That case was about dating apps. Apple made commitments to let dating apps use multiple payment systems. The ACM fined Apple a total of 50 million euros.