Alex Trelinski
THE European Union has handed out fines totalling €700 million to US tech giants Apple and Meta for breaching digital competition rules.
The news is set to further annoy US President Donald Trump who has repeatedly opposed rules laid down by the EU and the impact they have on American firms.
The penalties come under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which ensures fair business practices by tech companies.
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The European Commission has penalised Apple to the tune of €500 million for stopping app makers from directing users to cheaper options outside its own App Store.
Meta has been fined €200 million because it forced Facebook and Instagram users to choose between seeing personalised adverts or paying to avoid them.
Former Spanish environment minister and now EU commissioner, Teresa Ribera, is the commission executive vice-president in charge of competition.
She said that Apple and Meta had fallen short of compliance with the DMA ‘by implementing measures that reinforce the dependence of business users and consumers on their platforms’.
The commission had ‘taken firm but balanced enforcement action against both companies, based on clear and predictable rules’, Ribera added.
“All companies operating in the EU must follow our laws and respect European values.”
Apple accused the commission of ‘unfairly targeting’ it and added that it ‘continues to move the goal posts’ despite the company’s efforts to obey the rules.
Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Joel Kaplan, said “The Commission is attempting to handicap successful American businesses while allowing Chinese and European companies to operate under different standards.”
Apple and Meta have to comply with the decisions within 60 days or risk unspecified ‘periodic penalty payments’, according to the commission.
Both companies have previously indicated that they will launch appeals if rulings went against them.
