Italy’s competition watchdog has fined Apple Inc., along with Apple Distribution International Ltd. and Apple Italia Srl, a total of €98.6 million ($115.5 million) for abusing a dominant market position.
The Italian Competition Authority said Apple breached Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in the market for providing platforms that allow developers to distribute apps online to iOS users.
According to the regulator, Apple holds what it described as “absolute dominance” in this segment through its App Store, which operates as the sole channel for distributing applications on iOS devices. This exclusivity, the authority said, gives Apple excessive control over access to iPhone and iPad users.
The penalty marks another regulatory setback for Apple in Europe, where competition authorities have stepped up scrutiny of large technology firms and their market power, particularly in digital platforms and app distribution.
