Deals
EU Probe Puts Apple’s Shazam Deal at Risk
- EU says concerned Apple could use Shazam data to hamper rivals
- Probe also looking whether Apple could halt Shazam referrals
Shazam Entertainment Ltd. headquarters in London in 2013.
Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg
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Apple Inc.’s takeover of music-identification service Shazam faces an extended European Union probe as antitrust regulators raised concerns that the iPhone maker could use the app’s data to lure customers to its own music service.
The EU set a Sept. 4 deadline to investigate whether Apple might get unfair access to commercially sensitive information about users of rival music-streaming services. It will also check if Apple Music competitors would be harmed if Apple were to stop Shazam referring customers to them.