Apple appeals 500-mn-euro EU fine

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Apple filed an appeal on Monday against a 500-million-euro fine imposed by the EU and accused Brussels of forcing the US tech giant to make changes that are “bad” for users.

The European Commission in April imposed a fine for preventing developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals, in breach of the bloc’s digital competition rules.

“Today we filed our appeal because we believe the European Commission’s decision – and its unprecedented fine – goes far beyond what the law requires,” Apple said.

“As our appeal will show, the commission is mandating how we run our store and forcing business terms which are confusing for developers and bad for users. We implemented this to avoid punitive daily fines and will share the facts with the EU court,” it added.

Last month, Apple announced changes to its App Store payment rules in Europe to avoid steep new daily fines, including allowing developers to offer different payment options directly to consumers within their apps. The commission is now assessing those changes.

The EU imposed the fine under its landmark Digital Markets Act, which Apple frequently criticises, saying it has no choice but to make the changes under threat of large penalties.

By RSS/AFP