Photo Credit: Thibault Penin
Turkey launches an investigation into Spotify for alleged anti-competitive practices amid demands for legal action over “provocative” playlists.
Turkey’s competition authority has opened a probe into Spotify for allegations of anti-competitive practices. The news comes amid demands by a deputy minister for legal action over “provocative” playlists allegedly disrespectful of Islam.
The country’s competition authority released a statement on Friday announcing its investigation into “various allegations that the strategies and policies implemented by Spotify […] in Turkey [have] caused anti-competitive effects in the music industry.”
Their statement said the probe would seek to establish whether Spotify provided more visibility to certain artists in violation of competition law. The investigation will also seek to determine whether Spotify engaged in unfair practices in the distribution of royalties.
Notably, the investigation was announced the same day that deputy culture minister Batuhan Mumcu called for legal action against Spotify in a post on social media.
“Spotify persistently refuses to take the necessary steps despite all our previous warnings,” he wrote. “Content that targets our religious and national values and insults the beliefs of our society has not been corrected.”
“This irresponsibility and lack of oversight, which disregards the sensitivities of our society, has now become a legal matter,” his statement continues. “I call on our competent institutions to take action.”
He cited specific playlists that “disregard our religious sensitivities toward our Prophet Mohammed,” as well as playlists allegedly targeting Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. These, he said, were “insidiously provocative and morally unacceptable.”
Spotify released a statement in response, asserting its compliance with “all applicable laws” in Turkey since its launch in 2013. However, the company noted it would cooperate with the investigation despite lacking “details on the inspection’s scope or focus.”
“We are cooperating with the investigation, are actively seeking to understand it, and will work toward a swift, constructive resolution with the Turkish Competition Authority,” the statement reads.
Spotify added that in 2024, it paid “over 2 billion Turkish lira ($25 million) to the local music industry.” Further, the company said its platform played “a pivotal [role] in growing Turkish artists’ royalties globally.”
Music Apps, Music Industry News, Music Streaming, Pop Culture, Spotify News
This post was originally authored and published by Ashley King Digital Music News via RSS Feed. Join today to get your news feed on Nationwide Report®.
