Apple fined nearly $2 billion by the European Union over music streaming competition

By KELVIN CHAN
AP Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — The European Union has fined Apple nearly $2 billion for breaking competition laws by unfairly favoring its own music streaming service over rivals. The move Tuesday is the 27-nation bloc’s first-ever antitrust penalty against the U.S. tech giant. The EU’s executive commission says Apple banned app developers from “fully informing iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services outside of the app.” That’s illegal under EU antitrust rules. The fine follows a long-running investigation triggered by a complaint from Swedish streaming service Spotify. The EU has led global efforts to crack down on Big Tech companies.