CCPC joins EU consumer authorities in calling on Apple to stop geo-blocking on its services
November 12, 2024
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, alongside fellow European consumer authorities, is calling on Apple to stop geo-blocking on its services.
The call comes following an investigation, co-led by the CCPC and the Belgian and German consumer authorities, on behalf of the EU Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, where potential breaches of geo-blocking regulations were found on certain Apple media services. This includes the Apple App Store, Apple Music, Apple Books and Apple Podcasts.
The EU Geo-blocking Regulation prohibits unjustified discrimination between EU customers on the basis of their nationality, residence, or place of establishment when they want to buy goods and services from traders located in a different Member State.
As members of the CPC Network, national consumer authorities can investigate and take action together in order to tackle widespread infringements of EU consumer law and review commercial practices of traders. The Network has now requested Apple propose commitments to bring their practices in line with the EU’s anti-geo-blocking rules.
Kevin O’Brien, Member of the Consumer Protection Commission, said:
“This activity is another example of consumer protection authorities taking action on behalf of consumers across Europe. For many citizens, online products and services are an important part of their daily lives.
All companies offering goods and digital services online are obliged to adhere to the rules on geo-blocking which are designed to ensure that consumers are not discriminated against as a result of their location. We look forward to working with Apple during the next steps of this investigation.”
Key elements of the coordinated action
The CPC Network’s action against Apple is led by the CCPC, the Belgian Directorate General for Economic Inspection and German Bundesnetzagentur, under the coordination of the European Commission. The CPC Network found a number of limitations which, according to the network’s assessment, unlawfully discriminate European consumers based on their place of residence. Consumers face limitations when it comes to:
- Online access: Apple media services have a different interface for different countries in the EU/EEA. Consumers are only allowed to access the version made for the country where they have registered their Apple account and face significant challenges when attempting to change this, which is not allowed under EU’s anti-geo-blocking rules.
- Downloading: Since App Store does not allow consumers to access the version of another EU/EEA country, consumers are not allowed to download the apps offered in other countries. Consumers should be able to download apps offered in other EU/EEA countries when they travel to or temporarily stay in that country.
- Payment methods: When making paid purchases on Apple media services, consumers are only allowed to use payment cards from the country where they registered their Apple account.
Next steps
Apple now has one month to reply to the CPC Network’s findings and propose commitments on how they will address the identified geo-blocking practices. Depending on Apple’s reply, the CPC Network may enter into a dialogue with the company. If Apple fails to address the concerns raised by the CPC Network, national authorities can take enforcement measures to ensure compliance. This is without prejudice to the power of national authorities to take enforcement measures in ongoing national proceedings.
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