EU launches antitrust probe on voice assistants like Siri and Alexa

Apple is set to face yet another antitrust probe, this time regarding its widely known voice assistant, Siri, and whether the voice assistant can be used to crowd out competition.

The European Union plans on gathering information from over 400 companies to see if companies like Apple and Amazon are using voice assistants Siri and Alexa to engage in anticompetitive behavior.

EU competition regulators are investigating whether or not companies like Apple and Amazon are using voice assistants to control user data and create hostile environments to their competitors.

"It sends an important message to powerful operators in these market that we are watching them and that they need to do business in line with competition rules," European Competition Commission Margrethe Vestager told a news conference, according to Reuters

The EU's argument surrounding voice assistants isn't a new one. In 2019, Spotify had filed a complaint with the EU, stating Siri's preference for playing music from Apple Music would dissuade users from using Spotify.

Apple and Amazon have been the subject of many antitrust probes, both in the United States and abroad.

In June, the Department of Justice began an antitrust investigation into Apple's App Store after developers continue to raise concerns over anticompetitive behavior.

Apple has faced antitrust probes in the European Union for some time. Not only have they battled with Spotify overseas, but several banks have brought antitrust cases against Apple's Apple Pay system.

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40 Comments

wood1208 2930 comments · 10 Years

About 4 years ago

You European morons, take a deep look and investigate any Apps from China or things done by China. They are the one stealing misusing your information hurting you and rest of world. USA is not your enemy, China is and will be...

Rayz2016 6957 comments · 8 Years

wood1208 said:

You European morons, take a deep look and investigate any Apps from China or things done by China. They are the one stealing misusing your information hurting you and rest of world. USA is not your enemy, China is and will be...

Is that you Donald?

fred1 1133 comments · 11 Years

wood1208 said:

You European morons, take a deep look and investigate any Apps from China or things done by China. They are the one stealing misusing your information hurting you and rest of world. USA is not your enemy, China is and will be...

So you propose to investigate China,
but not the US? Why the double standard? Anticompetitive behavior is just that and should be stopped, no matter who it’s by.

hammeroftruth 1354 comments · 16 Years

Isn’t Apple 3rd behind Amazon and Google for their digital assistants?

Are they going to investigate Google, Microsoft and Samsung for the same thing?

Sounds like a cash shakedown to me. EU needs the cash badly due to Covid-19.

Especially since they need to Appeal the tax case now.

I bet they already spent that money they thought they were getting.

georgie01 437 comments · 8 Years

Rayz2016 said:

wood1208 said:

You European morons, take a deep look and investigate any Apps from China or things done by China. They are the one stealing misusing your information hurting you and rest of world. USA is not your enemy, China is and will be...

Is that you Donald?

It’s scary how those who hate Trump will immediately believe anything if it means they can direct more hatred toward Trump (ironically while also saying how ‘hate‘ is so terrible...). Only the wilfully blind don’t see that China is a very serious threat. While some want to be diplomatic about it, we can be sure China has no intention of being anything but superficially diplomatic. How can anyone justify their severe religious persecution? Or their clearly deceptive handling of the coronavirus? Or how can anyone with a memory of the history of Hong Kong and the transfer from Britain see China’s actions there as anything remotely resembling appropriate? The list could go on and on...

Love or hate Trump, he isn’t fear mongering about China. If anything he’s conservative in expressing his concerns (conservative for Trump, at least).