The EU’s European Commission is to impose its first ever fine on tech giant Apple – reportedly around €500 million (US$541 million) – for allegedly breaking EU law over access to its music streaming services, according to five people with direct knowledge of the long-running investigation.

Javier Espinoza for Financial Times:
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The probe is investigating whether Apple blocked apps from informing iPhone users of cheaper alternatives to access music subscriptions outside the App Store.

The Commission will say Apple’s actions are illegal and go against the bloc’s rules that enforce competition in the single market, the people familiar with the case told the Financial Times. It will ban Apple’s practice of blocking music services from letting users outside its App Store switch to cheaper alternatives.

Brussels will accuse Apple of abusing its powerful position and imposing anti-competitive trading practices on rivals, the people said, adding that the EU would say the tech giant’s terms were “unfair trading conditions.”

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MacDailyNews Take: Is the Commission going to force physical retail stores to allow rival retailers to post signs next to products advertising lower prices in rivals’ stores, too?

Unfortunately, as in days past and maybe even more so today, dealing with the illogical decisions of drooling idiot bureaucrats who could never make it in a real corporation is simply a cost of doing business.
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