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Apple faces $38 billion fine for violating India's antitrust laws – the largest in history
KATERYNA LEVYTSKA21 APRIL, 11:04
Apple has announced that it faces a $38bn fine after refusing to cooperate with India's regulator. This is potentially the largest ever "punishment" for violating antitrust laws, according to 9to5mac.
The iPhone maker is refusing to provide financial data requested by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after being found guilty of abusing its dominant position in the smartphone market.
Apple has repeatedly faced antitrust laws, regulatory investigations and lawsuits around the world. The issue is usually the same: in most countries, the only way to install an app on an iPhone is through the official App Store, where the company sets the commission and developers are forced to agree to the terms and conditions if they want to work on the platform. Regulators recognise these actions as an abuse of market power.
Apple insists that the company is not a dominant player in the global mobile app market, as Android has a larger share than iOS. However, regulators believe that the iPhone segment is large enough to be considered dominant. In India, the situation is somewhat different, as Apple's share there remains relatively small.
At the time of the case's inception in 2021, Apple's share of the Indian smartphone market was only 4%, although it has since grown to around 9%. The company is currently challenging the law in court and is asking for a suspension of its application until the case is resolved. That is why it refuses to hand over the financial information requested by the CCI.
According to Reuters, the Commission intends to speed up the process of imposing a fine as Apple is "running out of time" to comply with the financial disclosure requirements. The decision of 8 April states that the company has not provided financial information and its position on the investigation since October 2024.
Apple, which denies any wrongdoing in the case, said the fine could reach $38bn if the regulator uses global turnover to calculate sanctions. Although the CCI gave the company two more weeks to respond, the final hearing has already been scheduled for 21 May. Antitrust lawyers believe that if Apple fails to comply with the commission's request for financial information, it may lose the opportunity to appeal the amount of the fine.