Spotify calls Apple app store restrictions “abusive reach”

At an antitrust hearing on the App Store today, Spotify and Match Group (the company behind Tinder) accused Apple of abusing its “App Store” powers to disadvantage rival services. as reported. Bloomberg. Spotify legal director Horacio Gutierrez said Apple’s rules “are nothing more than an abusive takeover.”

“Apple is abusing its dominant position as a gateway to the‘ App Store ’to isolate itself from competition and disadvantage rival services like Spotify,” Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify’s legal director, told lawmakers. Apple ‘s restrictions on developers, he added, “are nothing more than an abusive takeover and a confiscation of the value created by others.

Spotify has had an ongoing conflict with Apple since the debut of Apple Music. ‌Apple Music‌ is priced at $ 9.99, a price that Spotify can’t match due to Apple’s 30% discount, as it doesn’t leave enough room for Spotify to make money. Spotify has complained that it has no choice but to charge more on iOS devices and has no alternative, as Apple does not allow it to offer alternative registration or payment options to its app.

Match, meanwhile, complained that it had wanted to add identification verification rules to increase the security of the app in Taiwan, but Apple would not allow it. Match contacted an Apple executive, who allegedly told the company he should be happy that Apple wasn’t taking all of its revenue. “You owe us all the money you made,” the Apple executive said.

The “Applied Antitrust: Exam Competition in App Store” hearing examines competition for app and mobile stores and focuses on Apple and Google. Kyle Andeer, Apple’s chief compliance officer, attended Apple’s defense.

Andeer stayed on Apple’s standard discussion points about how the “App Store” revolutionized software distribution and made it easier for developers to reach new users. Andeer said Apple’s strict “App Store” rules are designed to meet privacy, security and performance standards.

Apple’s “App Store” rules also face an antitrust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, and Apple is currently preparing to address its “App Store” policies with Epic Games. .