The European Union fined Apple (€500 million) and Meta (€200 million) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to ensure fair competition in the digital economy.
- Apple was penalized for restricting developers from steering users to alternative offers outside the App Store, violating the DMA’s “anti-steering” rule. Apple plans to appeal the decision and accuses the EU of unfair targeting and compromising user privacy.
- Meta was fined for forcing users to either share personal data or pay for ad-free access to Facebook and Instagram. The EU criticized this as a violation of user choice. Meta claims the EU is unfairly targeting American companies and harming European businesses.
- Both companies face further regulatory scrutiny: Apple must change its App Store practices, and Meta has 60 days to adjust its personalized ads model.
- The decision has escalated trade tensions with the United States, where President Trump responded by imposing temporary “reciprocal” tariffs on EU imports, calling the EU’s actions “extortion” of U.S. tech giants.
Source: CNBC
