Apple Fined $1.2 Billion for Illegal Competitive Practices in France
Mar. 28, 2020The Competition Agency of France, L’Autorité de la concurrence, has fined Apple with a massive amount of 1.1 billion Euros (~1.23 billion). The report came from the official website of the authorities. It stated that the Cupertino-based tech giant will have to pay the fine because of fixing prices of some of their products and preventing competition between two of its retailers in the French market.
This is the highest amount levied by the authorityto date. According to the authorities, Apple was responsible for fixing prices for the iPads, preventing two of its retailers to compete with each other and unjustly treating its premium reseller.
The report stated that Apple along with two other wholesalers, Tech Data and Ingram Micro, fixed the prices for the iPads by effectively eradicating competition.Apple convinced the two wholesalers to charge the same prices that the iPhone-makers chargedon its online platform and official stores. The company also restricted supplies, according to Competition Agency.illegal
The two wholesalers also need to pay huge amounts for agreeing to carry out this illegal and immoral practice. Tech Data has to pay around 76 million Euros (~84.7 million) and Ingram Micro would pay 62.9 million Euros (~$69 million).
These illegal practices by the company have been seen by the Agency Director, Isabelle de Silva, who said in a statement,“It is the heaviest sanction pronounced against an economic player, in this case, Apple, whose extraordinary size has been duly taken into account,”.
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