Apple and antitrust lawsuit game CEO "When US Big Tech violates Korean law, market access should be restricted"

Epic Games founder and president, Tim Sweeney, contends that imposing fines on big tech companies for monopolistic behavior is merely a "trap." Sweeney, who has been waging antitrust lawsuits against Google and Apple over their unfair in-app payment fee policies for six years, was quoted in a recent interview with the Korean newspaper Hanguk Ilbo.

As the dispute over the Broadcasting & Communications Committee's proposed ban on Google and Apple's in-app payment mandatory fees (under the revised Telecommunications Business Act) proceeds, Sweeney emphasized the need to find alternative ways to persuade the U.S. to change its stance. The Korean government had threatened to impose fines of up to 680 billion won on Google and Apple in 2023, but the final decision on sanctions has been delayed for three years due to a transfer of power in the Broadcasting & Communications Committee.

Sweeney cautioned that fines alone might not compel meaningful changes in behavior from big tech, suggesting alternative methods could prove more effective.