Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules

Apple has been fined €1.8 billion by the European Commission for breaching competition rules in the music streaming market. The tech giant was found guilty of abusing its dominant position to promote its own music streaming service, Apple Music, over competitors such as Spotify.

The European Commission stated that Apple had engaged in anti-competitive practices by restricting the ability of third-party app developers to inform users of alternative, cheaper purchase options outside of the Apple ecosystem. This gave Apple an unfair advantage in the market and harmed competition.

Apple has denied any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the decision. The company has argued that it has always acted in the best interests of consumers and has complied with all relevant laws and regulations.

This case is just the latest in a series of legal challenges faced by Apple in recent years. The company is also under investigation by the European Commission for its App Store policies, which have been criticized for stifling competition and innovation.