Apple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rules

Apple has been fined €1.8 billion by the European Union for breaking competition rules in the streaming market. The tech giant was found to have abused its dominant position to stifle competition and disadvantage rivals.

The European Commission, which oversees competition policy in the EU, said that Apple had unfairly restricted the ability of music streaming services to compete with its own Apple Music platform. This included imposing unfair terms and conditions on app developers and charging high fees for in-app purchases.

This fine marks one of the largest ever imposed on a company for breaking competition rules. Apple has said that it will appeal the decision, arguing that it has always acted in the best interests of consumers and has complied with all relevant regulations.

The EU has been cracking down on tech companies in recent years, with fines also being imposed on the likes of Google and Facebook for anticompetitive practices. The aim is to ensure a level playing field for all businesses in the digital economy and to protect consumers from harm.

It remains to be seen how Apple will respond to this hefty fine and whether it will lead to changes in how the company operates in the streaming market. But one thing is clear – the EU is serious about enforcing competition rules and ensuring fair competition in the tech industry.