For allegedly collaborating to hinder competition on Amazon’s Spanish website, Apple and Amazon were fined $218 million.
The CNMC, Spain’s antitrust watchdog, imposed the fines on Tuesday, accusing the two companies of engaging into contracts in 2018 that “unreasonably restricted the number of resellers of Apple products on the Amazon website in Spain.”
Meanwhile, the agency claims that the two companies have “limited the advertising spaces where competing Apple products can be advertised on the Amazon website in Spain.”
As a result of the deal, more than 90% of Amazon stores selling Apple products were excluded. The regulator fined Apple $161.4 million and Amazon $56.7 million, giving the two technology behemoths two months to file an appeal.
“At Apple, we work hard to create the best products and user experiences in the world,” a spokeswoman for the firm said. “We have rules in place that have effectively reduced counterfeiting, as well as dedicated teams around the world who work tirelessly with merchants, law enforcement, and customs officials to ensure our very high standards are met.”
“Our business model is based on the success of sellers, the majority of whom are small businesses,” Amazon stated in a statement. “Moreover, as a result of the agreement with Apple, Spanish customers benefit from a selection that has more than doubled in the last four years, and offers excellent deals and fast shipping.”
According to the two firms, their collaboration helped to combat counterfeiting and resulted in a broader assortment of Apple goods for Spanish clients.
The agency’s decision comes as authorities on both sides of the Atlantic continue to put pressure on Amazon, Apple, and other Big Tech companies.
