Why does this even require an antitrust probe? Why aren't there just clear laws against this stuff that Apple would never have done this in the first place, especially in the US where Apple is based?

If I'm reading it correctly, the problem is that Apple Music and Spotify compete, but Apple Music gets preferential treatment, because:

- Apple Music allows you to subscribe from within the app, and Apple isn't taking some % cut in the App Store from its own apps

- Spotify can't afford to pay a % cut to the App Store, so not only do Spotify subscribers encounter a hurdle (can't pay from within the app), but Apple doesn't even allow Spotify to provide users with a link to pay on the website from within the app

This is quite obviously completely unfair. But it seems like there aren't really laws directly against this thing. These investigations and court cases seem to be relying on other statutes around antitrust, anticompetitive behavior, etc., that aren't always clear.

But today, app stores and platforms and marketplaces are a common thing, where Amazon sells its own products on Amazon, Apple sells is own apps on the App Store, Google lists its own websites on Search.

Why isn't there incredibly specific and detailed legislation to prevent companies from favoring their own products in stores/platforms/marketplaces specifically? Why are we relying on outdated legislation that companies think there's a good chance won't apply to them if taken to court?

In other words, why don't we have clear laws that would have prevented Apple from ever considering this self-preferential behavior in the first place? This seems like such a no-brainer for legislators. It doesn't even seem like a Republican thing or a Democrat thing where the other side would oppose it -- it just seems like a common-sense thing.