The Federal Trade Commission has launched an antitrust review into Apple’s treatment of competing music-streaming apps that are sold through its iTunes App Store, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter. And while this probe specifically relates to the market for music streaming, the implications may be much greater. At the heart of the probe is this: Music-streaming companies, such as Rdio, Spotify and Rhapsody, rely on Apple to sell their products to consumers. And Apple takes a cut of that money, even while it is installing its own rival service on every iPhone and iPad. This is what has drawn the FTC’s attention. And it has broader implications for the tech industry. Apple, along with Google and Facebook, are so big and powerful that they have become more than neutral platforms. They are both distributing products for other companies and offering direct competition to that content.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/07/16/everything-with-know-about-the-ftcs-antitrust-review-of-apples-music-business/