Sen. Al Franken Calls For Federal Investigation Into Apple Music
In response to concerns arising from the recent launch of Apple Music, U.S. Senator Al Franken called on both the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the possibility that the tech giant may be creating an anticompetitive environment in the streaming music market.
In a letter sent yesterday to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FTC Chair Edith Ramirez, the senator from Minnesota notes that Apple’s restrictive agreements with app developers — especially those that compete directly with Apple Music — may “have the potential to limit choices and raise prices for consumers.”
Franken points out that Apple currently charges a non-negotiable 30% fee on revenues from in-app purchases of subscription services made through apps operating on Apple devices. This extra cost for these services can result in higher prices for consumers, but Franken says that companies are restricted from explaining this to consumers or from pointing out that they can get the service for less elsewhere.
...
“These types of restrictions seem to offer no competitive benefit and may actually undermine the competitive process,” writes the senator, “to the detriment of consumers, who may end up paying substantially more than the current market price point.”
-----------------
http://consumerist.com/2015/07/23/sen-al-franken-calls-for-federal-investigation-into-apple-music/
Imagine that.
= new reply since forum marked as read
