Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has criticized Apple’s compliance with EU tech regulations, urging European authorities to take action against the tech giant. Ek accused Apple of deliberately delaying and obstructing its adherence to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which imposes strict rules on major tech companies’ behavior.
Ek called Apple’s attempts to comply with the DMA a “farce,” saying the company is not making genuine efforts to follow the new regulations. The Spotify CEO emphasized the need for Europe to enforce the already-passed law, indicating frustration with the perceived lack of action against Apple.
Ek specifically criticized Apple’s approach to allowing alternative app stores on iOS, claiming the conditions and fees make it “almost universally impossible” for competitors to establish viable alternatives.
EU competition chief Teresa Ribera is set to rule on Apple’s DMA compliance by the end of March. The EU can impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global annual revenue for non-compliance. There are concerns about probable US retaliation, as President Donald Trump recently signed a memorandum threatening retaliatory tariffs against “disproportionate” penalties on US tech firms.
Apple declined to directly address Ek’s comments but referred to a previous statement expressing concerns about a pornography app made available through a third-party app store in the EU.
Ek’s criticism comes at a time when Spotify is experiencing big growth. The company had its best year of user growth in 2024 and posted an annual profit for the first time. Most of its new users came from markets in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
More here.