This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Following a constructive dialogue with Apple, the Commission has decided to close its investigation into Apple’s user choice obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Commission has also informed Apple of its preliminary view that Apple’s contract terms concerning alternative app distribution breach […]Commission closes investigation into Apple’s user choice obligations and issues preliminary findings on rules for alternative apps under the Digital Markets Act
April 24, 2025 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Following a constructive dialogue with Apple, the Commission has decided to close its investigation into Apple’s user choice obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The Commission has also informed Apple of its preliminary view that Apple’s contract terms concerning alternative app distribution breach […]Commission and national authorities call on Apple to stop geo-blocking practices on Apple Media Services
November 12, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, following a coordinated investigation at European level, the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network of national consumer authorities and the European Commission notified Apple of several potentially prohibited geo-blocking practices that the CPC Network has identified on certain Apple Media Services, namely App Store, […]Commission starts first proceedings to specify Apple’s interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act
September 20, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission has started two specification proceedings to assist Apple in complying with its interoperability obligations under the Digital Markets Act (‘DMA’). Under the DMA, Apple must provide free and effective interoperability to third party developers and businesses with hardware and software […]Remarks by Executive Vice-President Vestager following the Court of Justice rulings on the Apple tax State aid and Google Shopping antitrust cases
September 11, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. “Check against delivery” Today is a big win for European citizens and for tax justice. The Court of Justice confirms the decision from 2016 by the European Commission: Ireland granted Apple unlawful aid which Ireland now has to recover. And this judgement is final. […]Commission sends preliminary findings to Apple and opens additional non-compliance investigation against Apple under the Digital Markets Act
June 25, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Today, the European Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that its App Store rules are in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), as they prevent app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative channels for offers and content. In addition, the […]Commission designates Apple’s iPadOS under the Digital Markets Act
April 30, 2024 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has today designated Apple with respect to iPadOS, its operating system for tablets, as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”). Apple now has six months to ensure full compliance of iPadOS with the DMA obligations. The investigation On 5 September 2023, […]Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Apple over practices regarding Apple Pay
May 2, 2022 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that it abused its dominant position in markets for mobile wallets on iOS devices. By limiting access to a standard technology used for contactless payments with mobile devices in stores (‘Near-Field Communication (NFC)’ or […]Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Apple on App Store rules for music streaming providers
May 3, 2021 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. The European Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that it distorted competition in the music streaming market as it abused its dominant position for the distribution of music streaming apps through its App Store. The Commission takes issue with the mandatory use […]Apple Vs. EU: Will the US tech giant ever pay for taking advantage of Ireland’s taxation?
September 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Apple Inc. together with the Irish government showed up yesterday at the EU’s second-highest court to appeal for the 13 billion euros EU tax order. The US corporation has decided to legally challenge the 2016 European Commission’s decision by claiming that its products and services are created in the US and thus the profits were […]How to stop data leaks
November 8, 2018 by Leave a Comment
This article is brought to you thanks to the strategic cooperation of The European Sting with the World Economic Forum. Author: Algirde Pipikaite, Project Lead, Governance and Policy, World Economic Forum Our data infrastructure is incredibly porous. The latest cybersecurity incidents have highlighted the vulnerabilities created in the mishandling of massive data access by developers of third party applications. […]Trump aims trade offensive solely to China, renews truce with EU
September 13, 2018 by Leave a Comment
US President Donald Trump’s thundering trade salvos now seem to be concentrating exclusively against China. This week’s cannonade though didn’t remain unanswered. On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said “China will inevitably take countermeasures to resolutely protect our legitimate rights”. On Friday 7 September, the ‘America first’ ex TV celebrity aboard ‘Air […]Mainland Europe adopts Germanic cartel business patterns
April 2, 2018 by Leave a Comment
As in VW’s diesel engines emissions scandal, in the case of Estonia’s half banking system working as mafia’s financiers, it was the Americans to unveil the wrongdoings. Is it by chance or the Europeans are looking the other way, when it comes to their own dirty laundry? Those calculated frame ups are not only meant […]Will Qualcomm avoid Broadcom’s hostile takeover post the 1 bn euro EU antitrust fine?
January 31, 2018 by 1 Comment
The EU antitrust fine to Qualcomm comes as the latter attempts to avoid the 105 billion dollar hostile takeover by competitor Broadcom which keeps on biding higher and higher. Qualcomm seems to be in serious pressure as several fines have been imposed on the company for market dominance abuse and there are plenty of cases […]Trump’s denial of Paris climate agreement; the US Republicans lash out against the world
June 5, 2017 by 1 Comment
Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the UN Paris Climate Agreement is a major foreign policy step, rather difficult to understand. For one thing, the American environmental industry technologically spearheads the world in this domain. The US is a global leader in electric vehicles production, where mainstream vehicles are one of the major contributors to air pollution. […]“We need to use the momentum globally to ensure that corporations pay their fare share of taxation”, EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis outlines from the World Economic Forum 2017.
January 25, 2017 by Leave a Comment
At the third day of the World Economic Forum 2017 in Davos, the session “Taxation without Borders: A Fair Share from Multinationals” took place where tax-base erosion and profit shifting policies were discussed in view of the Panama Papers and the fact that countries lose tones of money when multinationals implement such strategies. Emerging countries […]Apple’s tax avoidance scheme remains as creative as their new iPhone
December 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
This article was written by one of our passionate readers, Mrs Rachel Everly. The opinions expressed within reflect only the writer’s views and not The European Sting’s position on the issue. The annual report released by Apple is hinting very strongly that they are continuing to earn good profits, which are unfortunately being funneled offshore to avoid […]Deutsche Bank again in the middle of the US-EU economic skirmishes
September 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The US government is reacting in many ways against the fine in back taxes of €13 billion which the European Commission imposed on Apple. Firstly, Jack Lew, the American Secretary of the Treasury, accused the EU of grabbing tax incomes which belong to the US. On 31st August he said, “What’s not appropriate is for, […]A hot autumn after a cool summer for Europe
September 5, 2016 by 2 Comments
This autumn Europe has everything it…didn’t need. A frozen Spain, a hot Britain who says will stay in EU’s Foreign and Security Policy, a self-centered Ireland and a revolutionary France. In the most interesting development the British Foreign Secretary, the infamous for his gaffes and lies Boris Johnson, said that despite the impending Brexit, his […]The EU responds to US challenges by fining Apple with €13 billion
September 1, 2016 by 1 Comment
Last Tuesday, the White House and the US Treasury in concerted actions issued farfetched statements against the EU Commission. The EU executive’s decision ordered the US giant technology company Apple Inc. to pay additional taxes of up to €13 billion in Ireland. These instant and strong reactions clearly denote that the US sees this Brussels […]Starbucks and FIAT again under Commission’s microscope: is Europe ready to kick multinationals out of the house?
October 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Some multinationals (MNEs) such as FIAT and Starbucks have been overdoing it in the EU for quite some time now. The case of tax investigation of the aforementioned companies on whether they have paid the correct amount of corporate income tax or not is ongoing for over a year now. The Commissioner responsible for Competition, Mrs […]Benjamin Franklin was wrong: Amazon can tax evade
October 10, 2014 by 1 Comment
“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”, Benjamin Franklin said back in the 18th century. Three hundred years later in principle it maintains validity, when it comes to the former. Of course for most developed societies tax is a de facto obligation of the citizen. Most of us we […]European Commission: Does Apple, Starbucks and Fiat really pay their taxes?
June 13, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The European Commission (EC) decided two days ago to conduct an investigation which will focus on the tax affairs of Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Finance and Trade in Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg respectively. Basically, EC’s purpose is to examine if the tax authorities of the aforementioned countries are in line with the rules of […]Samsung’s profits fall as cheaper smartphones gain market share
April 16, 2014 by 1 Comment
Last Friday tech giant Samsung Electronics hit the market with its ultimate creature. The Galaxy S5 was released worldwide, in more than 100 countries. Samsung said there was high demand for its latest flagship smartphone in many countries across the globe such as France, India and Canada, reporting that there were long queues for the device, […]Is Data Privacy really safe seen through Commissioner’s PRISM?
June 19, 2013 by 1 Comment
It was last Friday that the European Commissioner for Justice, Viviane Reding, had a ministerial meeting in Dublin with Mr Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General. The topic of the meeting would have normally been the ongoing discussion on the transatlantic data privacy agreement. That would have been effectively the 15th round of negotiations to bridge […]EC v Samsung: A whole year to compile a case
December 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It took almost one year to the European Commission to decide that Samsung is potentially abusing its dominant position, in the mobile telephony standard patents. It was January 2012 when the EC issued a statement saying that, “The European Commission has opened a formal investigation to assess whether Samsung Electronics has abusively, and in contravention […]
