European Union: Issued European Commission ruling in the investigation into Apple's App Store rules, including EUR 1.8 billion fine for abuse of dominant position

On 4 March 2024, the European Commission issued its ruling in the investigation against Apple for its anti-competitive rules on the App Store, issuing a fine of over EUR 1.8 billion. The Commission found that Apple, the sole provider of App Store for iOS users in the European Economic Area (EEA), imposed restrictions on app developers, preventing them from informing users about alternative and more affordable music subscription services available outside of the app. This conduct, which lasted for almost ten years, was deemed illegal under EU antitrust rules. The Commission concluded that Apple's anti-steering provisions amounted to unfair trading conditions, in breach of Article 102(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). These provisions were found to be neither necessary nor proportionate for the protection of Apple's commercial interests and negatively affected the interests of iOS users.