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The European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network have issued a warning to Apple, demanding that it address geo-blocking practices affecting certain Apple Media services. Announced on Monday, November 11, this directive gives Apple one month to outline steps to eliminate these practices or face potential enforcement actions to ensure compliance.
According to the European Commission’s press release, Apple’s geo-blocking practices prevent EU customers from accessing content and services across borders. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s Executive Vice President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, emphasized the importance of fair access: “No company, big or small, should unjustly discriminate against customers based on their nationality, place of residence, or place of establishment. Preventing geo-blocking enables consumers to access goods and services across Europe, reinforcing the integrity of our single market.”
The EU’s Geo-Blocking Regulation prohibits discrimination that restricts customers from purchasing goods or services in other EU member states, while the Services Directive generally prohibits nationality or residence-based restrictions on access to services. The investigation revealed that Apple applies geo-blocking on its App Store, Apple Arcade, Music, iTunes Store, Books, and Podcasts platforms. Notable restrictions include requiring users to access interfaces specific to their country of registration, limiting payment methods to those issued in the registered country, and preventing app downloads from other EU or EEA countries.
The EU first implemented a ban on geo-blocking in 2017 to unify its digital marketplace. A similar antitrust investigation in 2019 found that other digital game publishers’ geo-blocking practices violated single market rules, leading to fines against those companies.
Apple has yet to comment on this recent warning. The EU Consumer Protection Network will decide next steps based on Apple’s proposed compliance actions, which could include enforcement measures to eliminate these practices if the response is deemed insufficient.
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