The EU accuses Apple of violating digital competition rules

(MENAFN) The European Union has accused Apple of violating digital competition rules over its management of the App Store, making it the first company to violate this important antitrust legislation in the technology sector.

Apple, famous for its iPhone, faces fines of up to 10 percent of its global revenue for failing to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). With revenues of $383 billion last year, the company is expected to present its case to the European Union in March next year, pending the conclusion of the investigation. The European Commission has also launched an additional investigation into the fees Apple charges developers, which has been criticized as “unfair.”

These measures are aimed at underlining the seriousness of the new law regarding the practices of major technology companies.

In response, Apple spokesman Julian Trosdorf said the company “is confident its plan is legal” and emphasized that most developers would face the same or reduced fees under the new terms.

Apple is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with the European Union over a €1.8 billion fine related to regulations imposed on music streaming services such as Spotify. Additionally, the company is under investigation by the European Union’s Antitrust Office for alleged DMA violations, along with other companies such as Alphabet, Google’s parent company, and Meta, affiliated with Facebook.

These ongoing investigations and legal challenges highlight the increasing scrutiny and regulatory pressure facing tech giants in the European market.

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