Apple has been slapped with a massive fine of 1.8 billion euros ($1.95 billion) by European Union regulators, marking a significant blow to the tech giant for its anticompetitive practices in the music streaming industry. The penalty, announced by the E.U. antitrust regulator, comes after a five-year investigation sparked by complaints from Spotify, one of Apple’s biggest rivals. Regulators found that Apple had been using its dominant position in the App Store to unfairly block out competition from other music streaming services.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission executive vice president in charge of competition policy, stated, “For a decade, Apple abused its dominant position in the market for the distribution of music streaming apps through the App Store.” She emphasized that Apple will now be required to allow music streaming developers to communicate freely with their users. The hefty fine reflects the financial power of Apple and the harm inflicted on millions of European users.

The E.U.’s action against Apple is part of a larger trend of regulatory scrutiny over the App Store. Apple’s requirement for apps to use its in-app payment service, which carries a commission of up to 30 percent on each transaction, has been a point of contention for many developers. The Netherlands and South Korea have already taken steps to push back against Apple’s practices, with laws and orders to allow alternative payment services.

Apple has stated its intent to appeal the ruling, arguing that the decision is not supported by the facts. Additionally, Apple has defended its actions by pointing out that Spotify has benefited from Apple’s tools and services without paying any commissions.

The fine against Apple underscores the E.U.’s position as a stringent regulator of the tech industry. In recent years, the bloc has introduced laws and regulations on various tech-related matters, including data privacy, competition, content moderation, and artificial intelligence. Apple’s penalty is one of the most severe since 2016, when the company was ordered to pay €13 billion in unpaid taxes to Ireland.

Apple’s latest quarter saw revenue of approximately $120 billion and a net profit of $34 billion, highlighting its financial strength despite the regulatory challenges.

Spotify has been a vocal critic of Apple’s App Store policies, particularly the in-app payment system and the 30 percent commission. The rules have hindered Spotify’s expansion into new services like audiobooks, as the company has had to navigate ways to avoid Apple’s fees.

Apple has defended its position by arguing that Spotify receives numerous benefits from its relationship with Apple, including software tools and hardware improvements, without paying the necessary commissions. The ongoing battle between Apple and Spotify highlights the broader issues surrounding competition in the tech industry.