EU Orders Apple to Stop Geo-Blocking Its Apps

Key Takeaways

• Apple has been asked to stop geo-blocking its services on apps like Apple Music, Books, iTunes Store, App Store, and more.
• Geo-blocking is the practice of restricting certain content based on the location of the user. This kind of discrimination is prohibited in the EU.
• The tech giant has one month to acknowledge the order and assure its commitment to comply with it.

On Tuesday (November 12), the EU asked Apple to stop geo-blocking its services on apps, such as Apple Arcade, App Store, iTunes Store, Apple Music, Books, and Podcasts.

Apple has a habit of restricting certain content based on the geographical location of the user. It also has different user interfaces for different countries.

It's worth noting, however, that geo-blocking content is a standard practice in the streaming industry. Platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney Plus offer different catalogs for different locations. This is due to varying licensing and copyright deals.

Speaking of Apple, it also has a lot of restrictions when it comes to payment methods. Users can only pay with cards that have been issued in their own country - or the country from where they registered their Apple account.

So, if you're traveling to a different country, you might not be able to download apps if they're not already available in your country of residence.

EU's Stance on Geo-Blocking

Many of the above-mentioned geo-blocking practices are not allowed in the EU under the 2018 geo-blocking regulation. The European Commission and Consumer Protection Commission network feel that users should be able to download whatever apps are available in a country even if they're only traveling or temporarily visiting.

Therefore, an investigation was launched, led by Germany's Bundesnetzagentur, Belgium's Directorate General for Economic Inspection, and Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission(CPC), under the supervision of the European Commission (EC).

At the end of it, the European Commission issued a warning to Apple and asked it to put a stop to these practices.

Speaking about the same, European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said We are stepping up the fight against geo-blocking. No company, big or small, should unjustly discriminate against customers based on their nationality, place of residence, or place of establishment."

Apple has one month to acknowledge the order and ensure it will comply with it. If it fails to do so, national regulators will take necessary measures to ensure enforcement.

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