Apple—EU fined Apple €1.84 billion for App Store anti-steering rules that prevented Spotify from informing users of cheaper alternatives
In March 2024, the European Commission fined Apple €1.84 billion ($2 billion) for abusing its dominant position in the market for music streaming app distribution via the App Store. The fine stemmed from Apple's anti-steering rules that prevented Spotify and other music streaming developers from informing iOS users about alternative, cheaper subscription options available outside the app. This was the first antitrust fine the EU imposed on Apple.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antitrust & Competition | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -1.180 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.59)
Evidence (1 signal)
European Commission fined Apple €1.84 billion for anti-competitive App Store practices against Spotify
The European Commission fined Apple €1.84 billion for abusing its dominant position by imposing anti-steering obligations on music streaming app developers including Spotify, preventing them from informing iOS users about cheaper subscription options outside the App Store. This was the EU's first antitrust fine against Apple.