Apple Inc. was handed a European Union antitrust complaint over its app payment rules, drawing one of the world’s toughest competition enforcers into a global battle over fees for downloads on smartphones and tablets.
The European Commission sent a so-called statement of objections to Apple on Friday, laying out how it thinks Apple abused its power as the “gatekeeper” for music-streaming apps on its App Store. The case backs complaints from Spotify Technology SA, which accuses Apple of imposing its in-app purchase system to take a cut of its subscription fees.
The EU move comes days before a trial begins in California over Epic Games Inc.’s allegations that Apple’s standard fee violates US antitrust law. Epic, which is also seeking to challenge Apple in the UK, has garnered support in its US lawsuit from Microsoft Corp. and smaller developers.