including Android allow third-party apps to be
chosen, bypassing Google Maps and Google
Chrome for rivals, offering developers a fairer
playing field. Last year, the U.S. House of
Representatives’ antitrust panel discussed the
closed nature of Apple’s ecosystem, questioning
whether it was right for Apple to push the use
of its default Apple-owned apps. Being the
default app allows Apple to attract hundreds
of millions of users overnight (as of January
2019, there were more than 1.4 billion active
iOS devices) and by keeping users tethered to
Apple’s services, like iCloud and Apple Music,
rivals like Spotify and Google Drive suffer, with
Apple TV+ rival Netflix removing the ability
to subscribe on iOS to circumvent Apple’s
extortionate 30% subscription revenue cut, an
entirely separate antitrust issue which is also
sparking conversations around the world.
Indeed, last year, streaming rival Spotify
submitted an antitrust complaint to the
European Union, complaining about Apple’s
30% cut. The Cupertino company responded
by saying Spotify wanted “the benefits of
the App Store without paying for them,” but
Spotify singled out the fact that it can’t play on
HomePod devices or become a default music
option when asking Siri to play a track.
With Apple potentially backtracking and
allowing third-parties to be chosen as the
default option, users will have more choice
over how they listen to their favorite music,
and Apple will have to work harder to persuade
users to stay loyal to its Music service. Last
year, Apple Music overtook Spotify in paid
subscribers in the United States following
several promotions.