The European Union has officially ended its four-year investigation into Apple’s practices regarding audiobook developers on its App Store after the initial complaint was withdrawn. The investigation, which began in 2020 along with others into Apple’s payments system and the App Store, was sparked by allegations from an anonymous e-book and audiobook distributor that Apple was blocking developers’ access to crucial information about customers who visited Apple Books.
Apple avoids a fine
Lucky day for Apple, the Wall Street Journal reports that the European Commission has ended the investigation due to the withdrawal of the complaint, emphasizing that this action should not be misinterpreted as an approval of the practices of the giant based in Cupertino.
An EC spokesperson highlighted the ongoing monitoring, declaring :
The Commission will continue to monitor commercial practices in the European technology sector, including those of Apple, under the DMA (Digital Markets Act) and competition rules.
This scenario echoes a previous issue with Spotify, where similar accusations against the management of Apple’s music streaming services resulted in a €2 billion fine for Apple.
Between the two, Apple was forced to open the App Store to third-party payments and alternative stores in Europe, again after a complaint from a distributor, in this case Epic Games.
However, we can ask ourselves the question of an amicable settlement between the complainant and Apple in the matter of the day…
