An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York July 21, 2015. — Reuters picBRUSSELS, April 30 — The EU formally accused Apple today of unfairly squeezing out music streaming rivals through its App Store in one of the biggest-ever competition cases to hit the iPhone maker.
The European Commission’s case, put forward in a “statement of objections”, is based on a complaint brought by Sweden-based Spotify and others that accuses Apple of making unfair use of the App Store to promote its own Apple Music. The EU is currently preparing an ambitious law, known as the Digital Market Act, that will set up special rules for gatekeepers and protect consumers, companies and potential rivals from their overwhelming market power.