Philips Romania was fined 5.18 million lei after an employee uninstalled WhatsApp during an inspection

Philips România SRL was fined 5.18 million lei, approximately one million euros, by the Competition Council after the company allegedly obstructed an investigation by hiding potential evidence. At this stage, the penalty does not concern a direct violation of competition rules, but rather the lack of full cooperation with the inspectors. The incident occurred during unannounced inspections conducted between July 28 and 30, 2026. Immediately after Philips România was officially informed that the inspection had begun, an employee uninstalled the WhatsApp application from a mobile phone used for professional purposes. According to the authority, this action limited access to potentially relevant conversations and information, and the documentation was provided in incomplete form.

The inspections took place at Philips România’s headquarters and at ten other partner companies, distributors, and resellers. The actions were authorized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal and are part of an investigation into possible anticompetitive practices on the market for medical ultrasonography equipment and patient-monitoring devices. The Competition Council emphasizes that the checks are preliminary and do not represent a prejudgment regarding the guilt of the companies under investigation. Under the law, obstructing an inspection may be sanctioned with fines ranging from 0.5% to 1% of the total turnover achieved in the previous financial year.