Stefan Mileschin

Apple's ability to strangle its competitors is unprecedented

Music outfit Spotify has hit out at Apple’s antitrust antics saying that even Microsoft at its worst was not as bad.

Horacio Gutierrez, head of global affairs and chief legal officer at Spotify said that while his outfit has been successful despite Apple's behaviour, for many app developers the threat of irreparable harm is immediate.

“Apple's ability to strangle its competitors is unprecedented. Even Microsoft in the heyday of the Windows operating system didn't demand a 30 per cent cut of new subscription revenues from competing browsers or media players. And it didn't dictate how or when Microsoft's competitors could communicate with customers”, Gutierrez said.

He said that unless legislative and enforcement action was taken, other platforms will follow Apple's example and there would be a further concentration of power in the hands of a small number of unaccountable digital sovereigns who create and enforce rules that favour their services.

“The good news is that Spotify is no longer alone in saying this. At long last, those in a position to do something have seen past Apple's facade and are beginning to act in the interests of innovators and consumers around the world”, Gutierrez said.

https://fudzilla.com/news/52887-spot...-s-evil-antics