Apple has filed a lawsuit against the European Union to fight a $1.9 billion fine, as Bloomberg reports. In March, the EU fined Apple for unfairly limiting competition against music streaming rival Spotify.
The EU said Apple stopped music apps from telling users about cheaper deals outside the App Store and ordered Apple to end this practice. The fine came after a five-year investigation that started when Spotify complained. Spotify said Apple’s control over the App Store forced it to raise monthly subscription prices.
Apple is challenging the fine in the EU General Court in Luxembourg. The company says EU regulators did not find real proof that consumers were harmed, setting up another major court battle between Apple and the EU.
In the past, the EU fined Apple a record $14.5 billion in a dispute over taxes in Ireland. Apple won an early round in that case, but a final decision is still pending.
To comply with the new law, Apple has had to make major changes to iOS, Safari, and the App Store in the EU. Apple is also challenging this law in court.
Both Apple and the European Commission, which handles antitrust issues, declined to comment in detail on the new lawsuit. The EU said it is ready to defend its decisions in court.
As Apple fights the fine, the case’s outcome could have major implications for how much control tech giants have over their platforms and how they compete with rivals in Europe.