Spotify Submits App Update to Apple with External Link for Purchases in US

Spotify said on Thursday it has submitted an app update to Apple with an external link to buy subscriptions, after a US judge ruled that the iPhone maker violated the order that required it to allow greater competition for app downloads.

The Swedish audio streaming giant said in a letter to Apple that it planned to make changes to its US app in accordance with the court's ruling on Wednesday, which said the iPhone maker must not levy its new commission on off-app purchases.

"The fact that we haven't been able to deliver these basic services, which were permitted by the judge's order four years ago, is absurd," the company said in a blog post.

Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland said in an 80-page ruling that Apple failed to comply with her prior injunction order, which was imposed in an antitrust lawsuit brought by Fortnite maker Epic Games.

Apple had said it "strongly disagrees" with the decision, but it would comply with the court's order, adding that it plans to appeal.

Both Spotify and Apple have been engaged in a longstanding and contentious rivalry, centered around the Cupertino, California-based company's App Store policies and their impact on the streaming company's business operations.

Spotify updated its app on Apple devices to include pricing information of its various plans and services in the European Union in August 2024, several months after the iPhone maker had rejected such a move.

Separately, Apple trimmed its share buyback program by $10 billion (roughly Rs. 84,018 crore) on Thursday, with CEO Tim Cook telling analysts that tariffs could add about $900 million (roughly Rs. 7,561 crore) in costs this quarter.

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