The relationship between Apple and Spotify has been going on for years one of the most tense in the technology sectorand its main arena is the common European space formed by the EU. As you may recall, less than two months ago those from Cupertino were dealt a heavy blow by the European authorities, who fined them €1.8 billion for monopolistic practices. This sanction was the result of a multi-year investigation into complaints from the dean of music streaming.

It is at the epicenter of the dispute Spotify disagrees with Apple’s subscription fee rules to services from iOS, and more specifically to the restrictions it has historically imposed, so that applications on the said operating system offer alternative ways to contract the service. Alternative routes that, of course, allow companies to avoid the commission imposed by those from Cupertino in the mentioned payments, which, as you already know, can reach 30%.

In this regard, the situation has changed significantly in the European Union since the entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA, abbreviation in English), which included the iPhone operating system and the application store among those that are subject to special regulation due to their dominant position. This regulation was not much fun in Cupertino, which reacted to it in a rather erratic way in its initial adaptation, with moves as hard to justify as the removal of WPA support and the blocking of the Epic Games developer account, two moves so misguided that, in the end, it was forced to back down .

Well, just when we thought the waters were beginning to calm, we see that the storm has actually just taken a break. As we read in Gizchina, Apple has again blocked the update of the Spotify app for iOS, in a move that Spotify claims violates the legal framework set out by the DMA. And at the end of the controversy is, as always, Apple’s intention to push its commission as far as possible.

According to Spotify, they recently sent an iOS version of the app that included a link to subscribe to the service without going through Apple’s payment platform, but Cupertino didn’t approve. However, the now-rejected version contains no such reference, but still also faced a blockor, according to Apple, because even if these types of links are not included, developers must accept the terms of the Music Streaming Services Entitlement (EEA), a set of rules that govern Apple’s application to DMA regarding music linking. streaming services market. A framework that, let’s be honest, seems to have been specifically designed by the folks at Cupertino with Spotify in mind.

So Spotify won’t see an update to its app accepted until it accepts Apple’s new terms, although it undoubtedly will The key will be whether they match what the DMA is set to or not., a point where the two companies differ. And since it seems unlikely they’ll reach a deal, it’s possible we’ll have to wait for regulatory and/or judicial intervention to see which way the balance ultimately tilts.