Apple & Amazon Hit With $218M Fine By Spain’s Antitrust Authority
The apparent collusion between Apple and Amazon to block competition on Amazon’s Spanish website resulted in a $218 million fine.
The CNMC, Spain’s antitrust watchdog, issued the sentence on Tuesday and accused the two businesses of entering into agreements in 2018 that “unreasonably restricted the number of resellers of Apple products on the Amazon website in Spain.”
According to the agency, the two businesses also “limited the advertising spaces where competing Apple products can be advertised on the Amazon website in Spain.”
The firms’ agreement prevented more than 90% of shops from utilizing Amazon to sell Apple products. The Commission instructed the two internet titans to file an appeal two months after fining Apple $161.4 million and Amazon $56.7 million.
Apple and Amazon confirmed their intentions to do this in separate remarks to PYMNTS.
“At Apple, we work hard to create the best products and user experience in the world,” According to a company spokesperson. “To protect users from security, safety, and quality risks created by counterfeit products, we have rules in place that have effectively reduced counterfeiting, as well as dedicated teams around the world who work tirelessly with merchants, law enforcement, and customs officials to ensure our very high standards are met.”
Amazon noted in its statement that its economic model depends on the performance of its sellers, the majority of which are small companies. The relationship with Apple also gives Spanish clients access to a selection that has more than doubled in the previous four years, offers excellent pricing, and has quick shipping.
According to the two businesses, their collaboration helped stop counterfeiting and gave Spanish customers access to a broader range of Apple products.
The agency’s decision comes as regulators on both sides of the Atlantic continue to pressure Big Tech companies like Amazon, Apple, and Apple.
For instance, the European Commission is looking into allegations that Microsoft is improperly bundling its Teams video conferencing tool with its Office software, leading to the business being the subject of an antitrust investigation in Europe.
The Commission may formally charge Microsoft in the coming months, and sources told the Financial Times earlier this week.
Microsoft continues “to engage cooperatively with the commission in its investigation and are open to pragmatic solutions that address its concerns and serve customers well,” a spokeswoman for the company told PYMNTS.
When PYMNTS contacted the EC, they opted not to comment.
