Vestager fines Apple €1.8 billion over monopoly

The EU’s Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has fined Apple €1.8 billion (13.4 billion DKK) for imposing a monopoly through its App Store, which distorts competition and affects both consumers and digital service providers. This comes after Spotify filed a complaint claiming that Apple’s App Store rules prevent users from being informed about the availability of subscription payments outside of Apple’s system, and Apple takes a 30% commission on in-app payments. Apple plans to appeal the fine, stating that this decision disregards the realities of a competitive and rapidly growing market. The fine comes right before the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is set to be implemented, which imposes regulations to ensure fair competition among digital platforms and restricts large tech companies from favoring their own products.