Subj : Apple just paid a multi-million-dollar antitrust fine directly in
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Jan 23 2024 17:00:05

Apple just paid a multi-million-dollar antitrust fine directly into Russias 
state budget

Date:
Tue, 23 Jan 2024 16:45:12 +0000

Description:
Russia fined Apple billions of rubles over anticompetitive App Store 
practices  the bill is now settled.

FULL STORY
======================================================================

In resolution to a longstanding antitrust dispute, Apple has reportedly paid 
a fine worth 1.2bn rubles (around $13.4 million) imposed by the Russian 
Federal Antimonopoly Services (FAS). 

The payment, received by the Russian government on January 19, according to 
Russian news agency TASS , marks the end of a FAS investigation that started 
in July 2022. 

The core issue centered around Apples alleged decision to force Russian iOS 
developers to use Apples payment tool within their applications, which the 
FAS claimed fostered an anticompetitve environment. Apple pays $13m fine to 
Russia 

The regulator said: On January 19, 2024, Apple paid the fine. The money was 
received by the government of the Russian Federation. 

The fine of 1.178bn rubles was, at the time of issuance, worth around $17.4 
million. Geopolitical circumstances have seen the value of the Russian ruble 
plummet, in turn dropping Apples fine considerably in terms of dollar value. 

According to the FAS, App Store rules prohibited iOS app developers from 
informing customers inside the app about the possibility of paying for 
purchases outside the App Store and using alternative payment methods. 

While Apple has clearly paid the fine, it remains unclear whether the tech 
giant has agreed to amend its App Store policy to encourage third-party 
payment options. 

Despite ongoing challenges in Russia, Apple continues to operate its App 
Store in the country, even after suspending product sales and services like 
Apple Pay in response to the countrys invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. 

However, certain sanctions have proven to be unsuccessful. Parallel imports, 
for example, are permitted, which means that other stores can still stock the 
latest Apple hardware. 

 TechRadar Pro asked Apple to share a comment on the fine, but the company 
did not immediately respond. More from TechRadar Pro Check out the best 
business smartphones Weve rounded up a list of the best iPhones Apple's 
patent rival claims the Apple Watch's blood oxygen feature is unreliable



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/apple-just-paid-a-multi-million-dollar-antitrust
-fine-directly-into-russias-state-budget


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