The European Commission recently fined Apple €25 billion for its “abusive” App Store rules for music streaming services. The Commission also ordered Apple to relax its anti-steering rules, which prohibit developers from informing users about alternative ways to subscribe to their services outside the App Store.
In response to the Commission’s ruling, Spotify submitted an update to its App Store app last month that included links prompting users to visit the Spotify website to subscribe. However, Apple never approved the update.
This week, Spotify submitted a new version of its app to the App Store that includes “bare minimum details that are in line with the European Commission’s ruling.” This includes pricing information for Spotify plans and instructions on how to subscribe outside the App Store, but no actual link to Spotify’s website.
Spotify’s chief public affairs officer, Dustee Jenkins, said in a statement: “Despite Apple’s attempts to punish developers with new fees, we remain committed to giving consumers a real choice in our app at no increased cost. That’s why we have submitted a new update to Apple. It features basic pricing and website information – the bare minimum outlined under the European Commission’s ruling in its music streaming case. By charging developers to communicate with consumers through in-app links, Apple continues to break European law. It’s past time for the Commission to enforce its decision so that consumers can see real, positive benefits.”
Spotify has also announced that it will not opt into the new business terms offered to developers in the EU in response to the Digital Markets Act. These terms would allow Spotify to use alternative payment methods and pay lower commissions to Apple, but Spotify is concerned about the Core Technology Fee component of the terms, which charges €0.50 per annual install for apps that are popular enough to shift more than one million units per year.
