In April, the European Commission (EC) accused Apple of distorting competition in the music streaming market by abusing its dominance for the distribution of music streaming apps through its App Store. It published a statement of objections on 30 April, detailing that it has two main concerns over the App Store:
- The mandatory use of Apple's proprietary in-app purchase system ("IAP") for the distribution of paid digital content, with Apple charging app developers a 30 % commission fee on all subscriptions bought through the mandatory IAP.
- "Anti-steering provisions", which limit the ability of app developers to inform users of alternative purchasing possibilities outside of apps.
Apple is now working on its response to the statement of objections. In parallel, the EC is continuing its investigations into Apple's iCloud services, eBooks and Apple Pay.
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