As of March 4th, reports from overseas indicate that Apple has been fined €1.8 billion by the European Union for abusing App Store rules, equivalent to approximately 140 billion RMB.
EU regulatory authorities stated that Apple unlawfully prevented app developers from providing users with information about alternative and cheaper music subscription services outside of its app store.
Apple has announced its intention to appeal the fine imposed by the European Union, arguing that EU regulatory authorities failed to provide any credible evidence of consumer harm and ignored the thriving competitive market.
The primary beneficiary of the EU decision is Spotify, as it can sell subscription services on its website without paying fees to Apple.
It's reported that Spotify, the streaming company, previously filed a complaint regarding this matter, leading to an investigation by the European Union into whether Apple engaged in anti-competitive behavior.
Ultimately, the European Commission investigation found Apple in violation of EU regulations.
This marks one of the largest economic penalties imposed by the EU on big tech firms, similar to the series of fines against Google, totaling €8 billion, which are still being appealed in court.
