The European Commission's Commission on Monday announced a penalty of 18 penalties for Apple400 million euros (approx. 156.5 billion)HK$200 million), mainly due to Apple's app store restrictions** string process developers informing consumers that there are lower fee options outside of Apple's platform. This is the first time Apple has been penalized for violating EU rules, but the amount is already the largest fine in the EU.
Commenting on the sentencing, Apple Pie stressed in a statement that the European Commission had failed to find any conclusive evidence of consumer harm and that it had "ignored the reality of a thriving, competitive and fast-growing market."
Margrethe Vestager, the commissioner in charge of market competition at the European Commission, said at a press conference that because Apple's app store charges developers a 30% handling fee, consumers are more expensive to subscribe to programs on this platform, and although consumers can subscribe elsewhere, Apple has tried to prevent the flow of relevant messages, including prohibiting the first string of process developers from providing consumers with complete information on Apple's iOS platform. It is also forbidden to provide links that direct traffic to the developers themselves**. Margaret said Apple's practice has been going on for nearly 10 years.
Reuters quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that the European Commission was expected to impose a fine of 500 million euros on Apple, but it did not expect to end up being nearly four times that amount. 18.400 million euros is equivalent to 05%。
Apple said the main advocate and biggest beneficiary of the European Commission's decision is Spotify – a company based in Stockholm, Sweden that owns the world's largest** streaming app. Apple will appeal, and it could take years for the second European High Court in Luxembourg to make a decision. Until then, Apple will have to pay fines and comply with EU orders.