On Tuesday, EU antitrust regulators narrowed their case against Apple (AAPL.O), claiming that its App Store rules prohibiting developers from informing users of other purchasing options violate the bloc’s anti-unfair trading conditions rules.
The European Commission, which serves as the executive for the European Union’s 27 member countries, has dropped an earlier charge that targeted Apple’s rules requiring 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 stated that it was pleased with the Commission’s decision and that it would respond to the regulator’s concerns.
Spotify (SPOT.N) filed the lawsuit after alleging that Apple unfairly restricted rivals’ access to its own music streaming service, Apple Music, on iPhones.
As a result, the Commission decided to open an investigation and issue a charge sheet against Apple in April 2021 for its anti-steering mechanism and in-app payment system.
The Commission stated that the charge sheet issued on Tuesday, known as a statement of objections, would take the place of the 2021 document.
