Apple, one of the leading technology companies in the world, has been under the scanner by the antitrust agencies in the United States and the European Union. But those two aren’t the only regions where it is facing such troubles.
The company is being investigated in South Korea by the Korean Fair Trade Commission over allegations of it abusing its dominant position to force mobile carriers to pay for advertising and warranty repairs.
Now, aiming to address those concerns, Apple has offered to provide support programs for small business and is willing to spend around 100 billion won, which is approximately $84.02 million. As a part of the proposal, Apple has also agreed to fix the “unfair” terms with the mobile carriers, reports CNBC.
The regulator will now collect public opinion for the proposed remedies and if it seems reasonable, the case will be closed without concluding whether Apple did anything illegal.
The Korea Fair Trade Commission says that Apple will discuss how to share advertising costs with telecom firms, which will help reduce burdens to carriers. Out of the 100 billion won, the company will spend 40 billion won to support Research & Development for Korea’s small manufacturers.
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It will be spending around 25 billion won to establish an “academy” for developers. Further, the company will spend another 25 billion won on consumer discounts for warranty repair costs and other benefits.
Apple has also been facing similar antitrust pressures in other countries. Earlier this year, in March, France fined Apple 1.1 billion euros, about $1.23 billion for anti-competitive behavior toward its distribution and retail network.
There are now growing concerns about how Apple is managing its App Store, and broadly the whole developer ecosystem. The company is especially under scrutiny for forcing developers to use its in-app purchases system. Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Apple after its Fortnite game was kicked-off the App Store this month, and several other big brands are also joining in.
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