Travel fast towards apple’s 10th fine in the netherlands. 5 million euros a weekso much the misalignment with respect to the requests of the ACM, the Dutch antitrust, costs Apple: the “book” of sanctions is about to reach the first checkpoint, that of 50 million euros. The conciliation attempt we told you about last week was unsuccessful, according to what was gathered by Reuters, so the affair could still go on for a long time.
Apple allegedly tried to persuade the ACM to give up with some “new proposals to comply with the provisions of the law “ that last week would pass into the hands of supervisors. Which, according to the newspaper, would not have seen enough efforts to close the issue, thus rejecting the Apple proposal. Therefore the 10th charge of 5 million euros would be a formality, and probably also the eleventh unless a breakthrough in record time.
Reuters quotes an official from the Dutch supervisory body: “The offer is not fully compliant with what we ask” said the man, who asked to remain anonymous. Now for Apple it becomes a priority to resolve the issue in a short time: the rules of the ACM they would foresee a tightening of the sanctions after the titheso if so far Apple, as some have assumed, had also considered the “token” of 5 million euros per week acceptable in order to maintain the status quo, from now on the accounts may never return.
Apple has declined to comment on the latest evolutions – the Cupertino men’s mouths had remained sewn up in the past, at least in public – but will have to initiate a serious reflection on the matter. In fact, it seems that the wind is changing, not only in the Netherlands where for the moment, and only for the moment, the question concerns dating apps such as Tinder, but also in Europe where the specter of new Community rules to protect the market and consumers.
The Apple may be forced to open its App store already in Autumnso the Dutch quarrel could only be a starter of what is to come.