Spain fines Apple and Amazon $218 million for elbowing out small retailers
Amazon and Apple have been fined a total of $218 million after Spanish regulators say they colluded to box out competitors by favoring sales of Apple products directly from the online retail giant
MADRID — Amazon and Apple were fined a total of 194 million euros ($218 million) Tuesday for colluding to box out competitors by favoring sales of Apple products directly from the online retail giant, Spain’s antitrust watchdog said.
Amazon and Apple reached agreements in 2018 that limited the free competition of third-party sellers who hawk Apple goods through Amazon’s platform for smaller retailers, according to Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission, which oversees Spanish markets for antitrust violations.
«The investigated behaviors could be restricting competition in the sectors of the Internet sale of electronic products, and the provision of marketing services to third-party retailers through online platforms (Marketplace) in Spain,” the regulator said.
The tech giants also limited the capacity for third parties to advertise Apple products on Amazon, according to Spanish regulators. In addition, the companies are accused of reaching a deal that limited Amazon’s ability to direct advertising toward customers of Apple products or offer them products of competing electronics makers.
As a result, the watchdog said 90% of the third-party sellers of Apple products prior to the renewal of the Amazon-Apple distribution deal were forced off Amazon’s platform.
Apple was fined 143.6 million euros ($161 million), while Amazon received a fine of 50.5 million euros ($56.7 million).
The companies both said they planned to appeal.
“We also disagree with the Competition Authority’s suggestion that Amazon benefits by
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