Apple hits back against 'unprecedented' €500m EU fine
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Apple is appealing against a €500m (£430m; $586m) fine handed down by EU regulators over alleged anti-competitive behaviour on its App Store. The European Commission said in April that the tech giant had breached its laws by restricting app developers in their ability to inform customers of alternative offers or marketplaces that could be found outside its own and steer them towards purchases. Apple called the Commission's fine "unprecedented" on Monday, saying the decision and its penalty "go far beyond what the law requires". A Commission spokesperson told the BBC it took note of Apple's filing and would defend its decisions in court.
The company objects to the Commission requiring it to make further concessions to app developers, including provision of tiers for services which it says introduce more complexity to its options for users and businesses. "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," Apple said in a statement. "We implemented this to avoid punitive daily fines and will share the facts with the Court." Paolo Pescatore, technology analyst at PP Foresight, said Apple's appeal was a "widely expected move" that "sets the precedent for others". "It is disappointing that it now has to be settled in a long, drawn public process in the courts," he said, adding the nature of changes required by regulators - and enforcement of them - can be lengthy and complex. "We should not underestimate the sheer complexities of having to make fundamental design, operational and commercial changes to well-established services and the time it takes to enforce them," he told the BBC. "As always the devil is in the detail, which will inevitably take more time to unravel."
EU's big tech scrutiny