Microsoft hit with $730 million fine in Europe over browser choice 'non-compliance' (update: won't appeal)

There's so much deja vu here it's almost bewildering, but Microsoft has managed to get itself fined by the European Commission once again for failing to comply with its 2009 commitment to make it easy for customers to choose default browsers other than Internet Explorer. The penalty of 561 million euros ($730 million) isn't the biggest Redmond has faced in its turbulent history with European regulators, but it's still gotta hurt -- especially considering that Microsoft said its latest anti-trust blunder, in which the browser choice screen disappeared for some Windows 7 users, was merely a "technical error".

Update: Microsoft has said it won't appeal the fine and issued the following statement:

We take full responsibility for the technical error that caused this problem and have apologized for it. We provided the Commission with a complete and candid assessment of the situation, and we have taken steps to strengthen our software development and other processes to help avoid this mistake - or anything similar - in the future.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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Via: Reuters

Source: Europa.eu