EU demands end to Apple geo-blocking on media services
BRUSSELS – The EU asked Apple AAPL.O. on Tuesday to stop geo-blocking, which is the practice of restricting content according to a user’s geographical location, on services such as its App Store, Apple Arcade, Music, iTunes Store, Books, and Podcasts.
After identifying several potentially prohibited geo-blocking practices on some Apple Media Services, the European Commission threatened enforcement measures by national regulators if the company failed to address its concerns.
“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,” said European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
Accordingly, the EU gave Apple one month to propose commitments that would address the identified geo-blocking practices.
