Apple’s acquisition of Shazam is anticipated to receive approval from EU regulators. The deal was announced back in December, but faced scrutiny over anti-trust questions. European regulators opted to launch a full investigation of those potential issues, but sources told Reuters that the deal is expected to receive unconditional approval. Neither Apple nor European Commission competition spokesman Ricardo Cardoso offered comment on the development.
Shazam’s main feature is its music identification tool. Once identified, a track can be streamed or purchased from outside sources. Regulators were concerned that Apple ownership would give the tech company access to user data that would create unfair advantage, or that it could block referrals to Apple Music rivals.