The music streaming service Spotify, along with other media companies such as Deezer, called on the European Commission in a joint industry letter on Wednesday to take action against Apple for anti-competitive and unfair practices.
The letter, addressed to Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the EU antitrust authority, called on the Commission to act quickly for the benefit of European consumers.
Spotify accused for years Apple abuse its market position app store Rules to stifle competition.
The company has previously filed antitrust complaints against Apple in various countries, alleging that the 30 percent fee Apple has to pay developers in its App Store has forced Spotify to “artificially inflate” its own prices.
“We are writing to urge the European Commission to take swift and decisive action against anti-competitive and unfair practices by certain global digital gatekeepers and Apple in particular,” read the letter, which was signed by chief executives of media companies Schibsted and Proton and Basecamp.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek had previously said the iPhone maker “grabs every advantage while stifling innovation and harming consumers.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Last month, Ek renewed his attack on Apple in a series of tweets claiming that the iPhone maker “gives itself every advantage while stifling innovation and hurting consumers.” He had tagged a number of sympathetic business leaders in his 21-tweet thread, including Musk, Microsoft President Brad Smith and Proton founder Andy Yen.
“So how much longer will we refrain from this threat to the future of the internet? How many consumers are denied the choice? There was a lot of talk. Talking helps, but we must act,” Ek tweeted.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
