Spotify is struggling to get Apple to approve its iOS updates in the EU

Spotify submitted a caller type of its iOS app that should springiness users successful nan European Union in-app pricing accusation for subscriptions made extracurricular of Apple’s costs strategy — provided nan update doesn’t get stonewalled by Apple again.

According to TechCrunch, nan latest type of nan app doesn’t incorporate a nonstop nexus to subscription plans connected Spotify’s website, thing nan institution hoped would let it to skirt nan 30 percent trim Apple takes connected subscriptions made via nan App Store. Instead, EU users will beryllium directed to manually sojourn Spotify’s website via a web browser successful bid to acquisition cheaper subscription plans.

A erstwhile type of nan app that did incorporate website links was submitted by Spotify past month. Apple didn’t o.k. nan update and “neither acknowledged nor responded” to nan submission, according to Spotify. The institution says nan latest type it’s trying to get approved features nan “bare minimum” pricing and website information, arsenic outlined nether nan European Commission ruling that fined Apple €1.84 billion (about $2 billion).

The EU’s ruling followed a four-year investigation into App Store rules that prevented euphony services from advertizing cheaper subscription deals extracurricular of nan iOS platform. That investigation, itself spurred by an antitrust title Spotify raised successful 2019 complete nan 30 percent “Apple Tax,” recovered that Apple had “abused its ascendant position successful nan market” by preventing developers from telling their customers astir cheaper replacement services.

The ruling intends Apple needs to fto euphony streaming developers freely pass pinch their ain users. Apple will besides still request to o.k. Spotify’s latest app submission earlier EU customers tin spot updated pricing information. “It’s past clip for nan Commission to enforce its determination truthful that consumers tin spot real, affirmative benefits,” said Spotify’s main nationalist affairs officer, Dustee Jenkins.

We person reached retired to Apple for comment.

Meanwhile, nan EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) forced Apple to make changes to its App Store that introduced third-party app marketplaces and replacement fees for developers. Apple’s compliance has been described arsenic “malicious,” though, pinch Spotify calling nan company’s replacement Core Technology Fee “extortion, plain and simple.” Spotify says it won’t beryllium adopting Apple’s optional DMA changes.

The EU’s antitrust lawsuit is abstracted from nan above-mentioned DMA regulations, but Apple has lashed retired against some decisions, saying it would entreaty nan $2 cardinal fine. The European Commission has besides had to intervene successful getting Apple to reverse its determination to revoke Epic Games’ developer license aft Epic CEO and longtime Apple professional Tim Sweeney called nan company’s DMA compliance plans “hot garbage.”