Spotify and several other companies have submitted a letter to European Union officials claiming Apple and Google have used their positions as creators of operating systems and app stores to become “gatekeepers,” the Financial Times reports. The group claims the large companies prevent fair competition by abusing their position controlling a platform to restrict competitors in other areas, like streaming music. The EU is in the middle of considering new codes of conduct and the possible creation of a body to settle disputes between large companies and their smaller competitors, but there’s still some hesitation over whether such an act would amount to too much meddling in business affairs. The CEOs who signed onto the statement claim the power imbalance makes “specific rules guiding the interactions between platforms and their business users” necessary, but Apple’s position in many different markets complicates the matter. Spotify also accused Apple of blocking its app update last year, claiming “Apple uses the App Store approval process as a weapon” to protect its own Apple Music business.
