The European Union has accused Apple of illegally discriminating against EU customers after finding that the Cupertino company's geo-blocking measures may be violating the bloc's consumer protection rules.
Announced via a press release on TuesdayThe European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) said a joint investigation had identified “several potentially prohibited geo-blocking practices” that Apple applies to its App Store, iTunes Store, Arcade and Books. Podcasts and Apple Music services. Issues include restricting consumers to payment methods issued in the same country where their Apple account was registered, preventing downloading of apps offered in other EU/EEA countries, and having region-specific restrictive interfaces.
“In the app version of these services, consumers can only access the interface created for the country where they registered their Apple account and face significant challenges when trying to change this, which is not allowed under EU anti-geographic blocking rules. “CPC Network said in the press release. These rules and other EU service regulations prohibit companies from imposing “discriminatory provisions” on services that restrict EU customers based on their nationality or country of residence.
“We are intensifying the fight against geo-blocking. No company, large or small, should unfairly discriminate against customers based on their nationality, place of residence or place of establishment,” said European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in the press release.
