Apple gets burned by the EU again – this time for geo-blocking you from some apps and movies

Another clash between Apple and European regulators

News By Jamie Richards published 12 November 2024

• The EU has warned Apple to stop blocking media content based on where the user lives.
• The App Store, iTunes Store, Music, Apple Arcade, Books, and Podcasts are all named in the report.
• Apple has one month to reply with suggestions on how to improve.

The European Commission – the executive arm of the European Union – has warned Apple to desist from geo-blocking activities that it calls “discriminatory”.

In a press release posted to the official European Commission website, the Commission warned Apple to discontinue its practice of blocking Apple Media Services content based on where a user lives.

Apple Media Services comprises Apple’s digital storefronts and streaming services, and includes the App Store, Apple Arcade, Music, the iTunes Store, Books, and Podcasts.

It’s no secret that Apple tailors and restricts the content delivered through these services to specific national and regional markets, but this is rarely considered a form of discrimination.

However, the European Commission and the EU’s Consumer Protection Network have now notified Apple that these actions could contravene two EU regulations.

The EU’s Geo-blocking regulation forbids “unjustified discrimination” against an EU customer based on nationality, residence, or place of establishment when providing goods or services to customers in a different member state.

The Services Directive contains similar protections that forbid discriminatory provisions based on a customer's nationality or place of residence.

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