Spotify is not happy with how Apple is complying with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The streaming music company issued its response to Apple’s new DMA rules, criticizing the new fees on developers as “extortion” and calling Apple’s compliance plan “a complete and total farce.” According to Spotify, Apple’s actions demonstrate that the tech giant believes the rules don’t apply to them.
Earlier this week, Apple announced changes to comply with the EU law, including reduced commissions for app developers, but also introduced a new “core technology fee” and a 3% payment processing fee. Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney and now Spotify have condemned Apple’s plan, labeling it as “malicious compliance” full of “junk fees.”
Spotify has been a vocal critic of Apple and has pushed for increased regulation, including through the DMA. CEO Daniel Ek shared his thoughts on Apple’s DMA announcement, calling it “at best vague and misleading” and a “new low for the company.”
Ek criticized Apple’s solution as a “masterclass in distortion” and pointed out the impact of the new fees on larger apps like WhatsApp, Duolingo, and Pinterest, as well as Spotify’s own app.
He also noted that the system is designed to keep apps from opting for alternative distribution channels, ultimately maintaining Apple’s App Store power. Due to the increased fees, Spotify doesn’t even have a choice but to stick with the current system, which Ek believes is untenable.
Ek concluded by challenging lawmakers to recognize Apple’s actions and stand firm, emphasizing that “The world is watching.”
Spotify’s criticism follows condemnation from other companies and organizations, including the Coalition for App Fairness, which declared that Apple’s new fees violate the law and do not increase competition or fairness in the digital market. Mozilla has also criticized Apple’s new browser rules as “as painful as possible.”
