Another battle is brewing between the European Union and Apple. In a press release today, the European Commission announced that it has “notified Apple” that it may be in breach of EU rules against geo-blocking in relation to Apple Media Services, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+ and others.
The EC’s statement follows a “coordinated investigation” by the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network of national consumer protection authorities. The EC alleges that CPC Network has found “a number of restrictions” in Apple Media Services that “unlawfully discriminate against European consumers on the basis of their place of residence.”
In particular, CPC Network alleges that EU consumers face restrictions related to online access to Apple Media Services, discrepancies in payment methods and availability of apps:
- Online Access: Apple Media Services has a different interface for different EU/EEA countries. In the app version of these services, consumers are only allowed to access the interface created for the country where they have registered their Apple account, and trying to change this causes significant problems, which is not allowed by EU anti-geoblocking rules.
- Payment methods: When making paid purchases in Apple Media Services, consumers are only allowed to use a payment method (such as a credit/debit card) issued in the country where they have registered their Apple account.
- Downloading: Because the App Store does not allow consumers to access another EU/EEA country's version, consumers are not allowed to download apps offered in other countries. Consumers must be able to download apps offered in other EU/EEA countries when they are traveling or temporarily in that country.
While the European Commission’s statement only briefly mentions the “Apple Media Services” category, it includes all relevant Apple services, such as the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, iCloud, Game Center, Apple Sports, and more.
Apple now has one month to respond to the CPC Network’s findings and “offer commitments on how they will address the geo-blocking practices identified.” The CPC Network can then “enter into dialogue” with Apple. However, if Apple fails to address these concerns, the European Commission can take enforcement action against the company.
Follow the chance: Threads, Twitter, Instagram, and Mastodon.
