Photo Credit: Getty Images
Apple is appealing a $586 million fine imposed by EU regulators for alleged anti-competitive practices on its App Store. The European Commission ruled in April that Apple violated its laws by limiting app developers' ability to inform users about alternative offers and marketplaces outside of Apple's own ecosystem.
Apple called the Commission's fine "unprecedented" on Monday, saying the decision and its penalty "go far beyond what the law requires".
The company objects to the Commission requiring it to make further concessions to app developers, including provision of tiers for services which it says introduce more complexity to its options for users and businesses.
"As our appeal will show, the Commission is mandating how we run our store and forcing business terms which are confusing for developers and bad for users," Apple said in a statement.
"We implemented this to avoid punitive daily fines and will share the facts with the Court."
The Commission's Apple fine was delivered in April alongside a penalty on Facebook owner Meta of €200m (£171m) over choice for users under its "consent or pay" model.
The fines were the first imposed under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) - its landmark legislation designed to boost competitive business practice in online markets.
The law also carries tougher obligations for companies designated dominant "gatekeepers" in certain sectors, and firms face hefty fines of up to 10% of their annual global turnover for rule breaches.
Henna Virkkunen, the Commission's executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said at the time that both companies had undermined the key principles of the DMA - to enable free business and choice for consumers.
Apple said it was being "unfairly targeted" and forced to "give away our technology for free". It also accused the regulator of "moving the goal posts" during their meetings.
It has now escalated its complaint to the EU's second highest court, the General Court.
The EU's strict regulation of large US tech firms has also attracted scrutiny from President Donald Trump's administration.
