EU is investigating Apple Pay and App Store for breaking competition rules

The European Commission has launched two formal investigations into Apple's business practices over a possible breach of Europe's competition rules. 

One probe will investigate Apple's App Store, while the other will look into the company's Apple Pay payment system. 

The first investigation is a follow-up to earlier complaints by Spotify, and an (unnamed) e-book/audiobook distributor, who claimed that Apple's App Store rules stifle competition in music streaming, e-book, and audiobook markets. 

"It appears that Apple obtained a 'gatekeeper' role when it comes to the distribution of apps and content to users of Apple's popular devices. We need to ensure that Apple's rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers, for example with its music streaming service Apple Music or with Apple Books," Margrethe Vestager, who's in charge of the EU's competition policy, said in a statement.