ALBAWABA - The European Union is getting set to hit Apple with a massive fine of €500 million. Why? They're saying Apple has been unfair in how it deals with music apps, favoring its own over others.
Sources say this decision comes after a close look into whether Apple was playing fair with its music services compared to competitors.
According to reports from the Financial Times, Brussels is about to announce this hefty fine, making it the first time the EU has punished Apple for not following rules about giving everyone equal access to music streaming services.
The fine, expected to be around €500 million, could be announced in the coming weeks.
This all started with a complaint from Spotify back in 2019, leading to an investigation by the EU in 2021. They were looking into claims that Apple was using its power unfairly in the music streaming world. The investigation has been ongoing, and now it seems they're ready to take action.
The European Commission, which oversees these matters in the EU, has been keeping an eye on whether companies are playing fair in their industries.
Apple is being accused of making it hard for users to find out about cheaper options for music apps. Sources close to the case say the EU is likely to say Apple broke the rules.
This would be the EU's first big fine against Apple for competition issues. Although Apple has faced similar problems before, this would be the first time they're hit with such a huge fine from the EU.
