Published in Mobiles

Apple rejects Spotify’s updates

by on27 October 2022


Keeping the rivals in check 

Apple has been rejecting Spotify’s app updates claiming that they violate the company’s guidelines regarding online purchases.

While there is no love lost between Spotify and Apple, who are business rivals forced to compete on Apple's platform, it would appear that in this case, Apple might be in the wrong.  

Spotify is running into a problem regarding adding an email button in the app that allows customers to receive emails for online purchases.  Apple rejected Spotify’s audiobook purchasing system three times. Although Apple initially approved the initial update – that removed instructions on purchasing an audiobook through Spotify Web – since Spotify’s legal team was involved, it rejected later updates.

To avoid the conflict, Spotify had to remove the price of the audiobooks and sell them outside the app through an email link. So consumers who wanted to buy an audiobook would select the audiobook and receive an email containing details about the book. Spotify later updated that Apple does not show an option to purchase an audiobook in the app anymore.

Apple claimed that there was no issue regarding the addition of audiobooks, what it did not like was the encouragement of customers to buy audiobooks outside the app. 

“We provided them with clear guidance on how to resolve the issue, and approved their app after they made changes that brought it into compliance,” Apple said.

Jobs' Mob is flying very close to the wind with these sorts of spats as regulators are watching it closely. At the same time, it does not appear to want to give any ground to its rivals, which would seem to be a more sensible approach. 

 

Last modified on 27 October 2022
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