EU fines Microsoft $732 million over browser ballot debacle

European Union antitrust officials today hit Microsoft with a $732 million fine for failing to live up to a 2009 settlement that requires it to offer Windows users a choice of alternate browsers. The announcement made by Joaquin Almunia, the European Commission's top antitrust regulator, had been expected after the New York Times reported Tuesday that a "large fine" was imminent in the eight-month-old case. It was the first time that Europe's regulators had punished a company for shirking an antitrust agreement, something Almunia noted last year and again today. "This is the first time we have seen a breach of a legally binding commitment," said Almunia during a Wednesday press conference from Brussels. "This is, of course, serious, whether it was intentional or not." To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here