Spotify Applauds New Bill in Congress That Would Oust Apple's App Store
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Bulletin YOUR DAILY ENTERTAINMENT NEWS UPDATE AUGUST 12, 2021 Page 1 of 36 INSIDE Spotify Applauds New Bill in • Kris Wu’s Career in Congress That Would Oust Apple’s Jeopardy as China Cracks Down on App Store Tax ‘Tainted Artists’ BY TATIANA CIRISANO • AEG Presents Will Require Fans and Employees to A new bipartisan bill introduced Wednesday (Aug. in holding Apple and other gatekeeper platforms Be Vaccinated 11) aims to crack down on the so-called “Apple Tax” accountable for their unfair and anti-competitive that developers pay to list their apps on Apple and practices.” Spotify has been one of the most vocal crit- • Kanye West’s Google’s app stores, with Spotify among the bill’s ics of Apple’s App Store system, calling its tax on Latest ‘Donda’ Event Is Most-Watched vocal supporters. in-app purchases “discriminatory” and even accusing Apple Music The Open App Markets Act, led by Sens. Marsha Apple — which of course has its own streaming ser- Livestream Ever Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) vice, Apple Music — of rejecting bug fixes and other and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), intends to protect enhancements to Spotify’s product. • Pop, R&B and Love Songs: The State of developers and bring more competition to the app store “These platforms control more commerce, informa- the Billboard Hot market. Currently, developers must pay Apple and tion, and communication than ever before, and the 100’s Top 10 in the Google between 15% and 30% of revenue made through power they exercise has huge economic and societal First Half of 2021 in-app purchases in order to list their apps on the com- implications. We urge Congress to swiftly pass the • Lollapalooza Wasn’t panies’ app stores, thanks to the companies’ practices Open App Markets Act,” Gutierrez said in another a ‘Super Spreader’ of requiring that developers use their in-app payment tweet. Finally, he added: “Absent action, we can expect Event, Say Chicago processing systems. The bill would prohibit companies Apple and others to continue changing the rules in Health Officials that own app stores with more than 50 million U.S. us- favor of their own services, and causing further harm • L.A. City Council ers from making this a requirement. to consumers, developers, and the digital economy.” Approves Vaccine Spotify head of global affairs and chief legal of- The bill includes other provisions to prevent app Mandate for Indoor ficer Horacio Gutierrez — who testified during a stores from disadvantaging developers, including Public Spaces Senate Judiciary hearing examining the issue in April protecting developers’ rights to tell consumers about — took to Twitter to applaud the initiative, thanking lower prices and offer competitive pricing. The full the congress members for their “courage and resolve (continued) TOTAL IMMERSION ESSENTIAL ANALYSIS of the latest business topics and trends formulated to give industry players the competitive advantage in a rapidly changing market. EXCLUSIVE QUARTERLY REPORTS that deliver in-depth, holistic reporting; case studies; and custom data designed to serve the industry. A DEEP DIVE LIBRARY stocked with intelligence on fan data, SUBSCRIBE TO BILLBOARD PRO FOR song catalog sales, TV synchs, Africa’s burgeoning music ACCESS TO NEW REPORTS business and the gaming industry’s embrace of artists. AND THE ARCHIVE Page 3 of 36 IN BRIEF text of the bill can be found here. Wu, 30, in response to allegations of rape “The gatekeeper power that corpo- Kris Wu’s Career after he allegedly “repeatedly seduced rate behemoths now exercise over the young women into having sex,” police said app economy is harming consumers and in Jeopardy in a statement. competition,” Federal Communications Two days later, in response to the sexual Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan as China wrongdoing claims, five Chinese industry Carr said in a press release. “This legislation associations, including the film association is a thoughtful way to eliminate those harms Cracks Down on and music association, issued statements while promoting innovation.” calling for industry bans on Wu and urging In response to the bill, Apple cited the ‘Tainted Artists’ those in the entertainment sector to respect essential role its App Store plays in the tech the law and pay attention to their behavior. industry. “Since our founding, we’ve always BY HSIUWEN LIU “We call on musicians to take Wu’s put our users at the center of everything we incident as a warning, insist on advocating do, and the App Store is the cornerstone of ONG KONG — In less than a morality and abide by the law as a lifelong our work to connect developers and custom- month, Kris Wu has gone from practice,” the Chinese Musicians’ Associa- ers in a way that is safe and trustworthy,” one of China’s biggest pop stars tion said. said a company spokesperson in a statement. to the center of #MeToo sexual The allegations against Wu first emerged “The result has been an unprecedented Hmisconduct allegations. And in China’s last month on Weibo, a Chinese social media engine of economic growth and innovation, increasingly punitive environment for moral platform, when Du Meizhu, a 19-year-old one that now supports more than 2.1 mil- offenders who happen to be entertainers, college student, said the singer date raped lion jobs across all 50 states. At Apple, our mounting a comeback will be a tall order. her when she was 17. Chinese law stipulates focus is on maintaining an App Store where While he has not been formally charged, people under 18 are minors, while the age of people can have confidence that every app the Chinese-Canadian singer-actor’s career consent is 14. must meet our rigorous guidelines and their has already taken a sweeping blow. Under Wu has denied the allegations, saying that privacy and security is protected.” public pressure, close to 20 brands — in- no underage sex was involved, and that if cluding Lancôme, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari there was, he would send himself to prison. and Porsche — have cut ties with him. Chi- He did not respond to a request for com- nese music streaming platforms, including ment from Billboard. Tencent’s QQ Music and NetEase Cloud The scandal has grown beyond celebrity Music, have pulled his songs. And his gossip into a significant incident with pub- Weibo social media account, where he had lic-interest implications as part of a larger over 51 million followers, was taken down government crackdown on the country’s shortly after his detention. entertainment sector. On July 31, the Beijing police detained As supporters of Wu took to social media AUTHORITATIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY. 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[email protected] ON SALE : 8/28 | +447843437176 Issue Close: 8/18 Ryan O’Donnell Materials Due: 8/19 [email protected] BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 13, 2020 | PAGE Page 4 5 OF of 1936 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] IN BRIEF SamHunt’s Southside Rules Top Country to defendAlbu him, Chinesems; internet Brett and media Y oungcusations ‘Catc means he willh probably’-es not Fifth have a the AirplayBillboard 200 albums chart, while the regulators pledged to silence “unhealthy” music career anymore in China.” single “Like That” rose to No. 73 on the Hot online fan groups,Lea asder; the Central Travis Commis- DenningBorn in China and raised Makes in Canada, Wu History 100. (Each lasted one week on the charts.) sion for Discipline Inspection, the country’s rose to fame after he made his debut in 2012 A fan war soon emerged, and allegations disciplinary watchdog, called them. “We as a member of the Korean pop group EXO. that Wu’s fans had used bots to artificially Sammust Hunt cut off’s second the black studio hand full-length, of capital and , firstand in overThe five group years, became Southside one ofsales the (up most 21%) success in the tracking- inflate week. Onthe Country album’s Airplay, sales itperformance hops 18-15 (11.9 led mil to- (MCAcurb the Nashville/Universal wild growth of Music the entertainment Group Nashville), debutsful at boy No. bands 1 on Billboard of South’s Korea,lion audience selling impressions, over 1.4 itsup 16%).removal from the iTunes Top 200 and for Topindustry,” Country the Albums commission chart dated said. April 18. In its first millionweek (ending albums April in 9), their it first year, according Nielsen Music, Billboard’s chart data pro- earned 46,000 equivalent album units, including 16,000 in album sales, ac- TRY TO ‘CATCH’ UP WITH YOUNG Brett Youngachieves his fifth consecutive cordingCCTV, to NielsenChina’s Music/MRC state broadcaster, Data. said in a to its label, SM Entertainment,and total and Country perform Airplay- No.vider 1 as “Catch”at the time, (Big Machineto invalidate Label Group) some ascendssales. commentarySouthside marks the day Hunt’s after second Wu was No. charged 1 on the ing sold-out gigs around the world.