Spotify quickly benefited from Apple’s Friday relaxation of its App Store payment policies in response to a harsh court ruling.
In order to enable users to purchase programs featured in its US online store without using the App Store, Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow developers to include links to external payment providers.
Two days prior to the regulation change, a US judge had accused Apple of violating an order to relax its control over the App Store payment system to the extent that criminal penalties would be justified.
Music streaming giant Spotify said Friday that Apple had approved an update “that will finally allow us to freely show clear pricing information and links to purchase” in its app in the US App Store.
“In a victory for consumers, artists, creators, and authors, Apple has approved Spotify’s US app update,” the Sweden-based service said in a post on X.
“Today represents a significant milestone for developers and entrepreneurs everywhere who want to build and compete on a more level playing field.”
Epic Games chief executive Tim Sweeney shared the Spotify post along with a message of congratulations for it “being the first major iOS app to exercise its court mandated right to do digital commerce with customers free of Apple obstruction, interference, and the Apple Tax!”
US District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers found that Apple “willfully” violated an injunction she issued at trial, with the company instead creating new barriers to competition with the App Store and even lying to the court in the process.
Gonzalez Rogers ordered the injunction be enforced.
An Apple spokesperson told AFP it strongly disagrees with the judge’s decision and will appeal to a higher court, but would comply.
