February 27, 2025 – Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has expressed his dissatisfaction with Apple’s current compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), urging EU regulators to take swift action against the tech giant. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Ek slammed Apple’s compliance efforts as a “farce” and accused the company of employing its usual tactics of “delay and obstruction” tocircumvent the strict provisionss of the DMA, which is designed to regulate the behavior of the world’s most powerful technology companies.
During the interview on Tuesday, Ek stated, “Now is the time for Europe to demonstrate our commitment to enforcing the laws we have passed.” He also mentioned that cracking down on Apple’s behavior has become a focal point for US regulators as well.
It should be noted that the EU had previously expressed strong dissatisfaction with Apple’s initial compliance with the DMA and is considering whether further penalties are necessary.
According to Bloomberg, EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera had previously promised to make a ruling on Apple’s DMA compliance by the end of March. Under the law, she has the authority to impose fines on Apple up to 10% of its global annual revenue.
However, the current political landscape has changed since then. With the US President explicitly opposing further EU action against Apple, it remains unclear whether the EU will continue to push forward with related measures.
Spotify and its CEO have long advocated for stronger regulation of Apple, so it’s not surprising that they are pressuring the EU in this manner. Ek’s strong criticism of Apple may stem from his concern that the EU might abandon further action.
