Apple to Face £427m Fine over Spotify Antitrust Complaint; Paramount & Comcast Discussing Streaming Merger; Big Tech Agree to New AI Pact

by Aimee Newell Tarín on 20th Feb 2024 in News

On today’s ExchangeWire digest: Apple to Face £427m Fine over Spotify Antitrust Complaint; Paramount & Comcast Discussing Streaming Merger; Big Tech Agree to New AI Pact

Apple will reportedly be hit with a €500m (£427m) fine from the EU over Spotify’s antitrust complaint. The fine will be the first imposed by Brussels on the tech giant for allegedly breaking EU law over access to its streaming services. It follows the European Commissions’ investigation into whether Apple has used its platform to favour its own services over those of competitors.

In the TV landscape, Paramount and Comcast are reportedly in discussion about joining forces in streaming through a partnership or joint venture. This follows the recent news of a joint streaming service to be launched by Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. With other industry players making big moves, Paramount and its parent company have been exploring a range of potential strategic options.

With elections approaching, representatives from most major tech companies have agreed to a new pact which sets out to prevent AI being tools for political disruption. The agreement lays out key measures relating to prevention, detection, and public awareness, among others. Executives from tech giants such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI have agreed to the initiative. Through the initiative, the companies will work together to share best practices, tools, and technical signals in response to the use of deceptive AI.