The European Union (EU) has fined Microsoft US$731 million, saying it had broken a legally binding commitment made in 2009 by failing to offer consumers a choice of web browser.
The EU said the firm had committed to ensuring customers did not default to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser, but an investigation had found this had not been honoured and 15 million users were not made aware of their right to choose, reported Reuters.
“Legally binding commitments reached in antitrust decisions play a very important role in our enforcement policy,” said Joaquin Almunia, the EU’s competition commissioner. “A failure to comply is a very serious infringement that must be sanctioned accordingly.”
It is the first time example of the EU’s antitrust authority the European Commission fining a company for non-compliance with agreed commitments, though the commission has issued Microsoft with fines totalling US$3.4 billion.
