EU Fines Apple and Meta a Combined €700 Million Under Digital Markets Act
The European Union has imposed its first fines under the Digital Markets Act, hitting Apple with a €500 million ($570 million) penalty and Meta with €200 million ($228 million). These fines come after the companies were found to be in violation of new rules aimed at curbing the dominance of Big Tech. The Digital Markets Act is designed to ensure fair competition by imposing strict requirements on large tech firms, like Apple and Meta, to allow smaller competitors more access to the market.
Apple was fined for restricting developers from linking to external platforms to make sales outside its App Store, while Meta's practices around its ad-free services on Instagram and Facebook were found to be in breach of the rules. Both companies have 60 days to comply with the EU's decision or face further penalties. This marks the first wave of enforcement under the new law, with the EU signaling that it is serious about regulating tech giants.
While the fines are relatively modest compared to past penalties for antitrust violations, they have drawn criticism from the companies involved. Apple called the penalty discriminatory, and Meta accused the EU of unfairly targeting American businesses. This move also comes at a time of rising tensions with the Trump administration, which has threatened retaliatory tariffs against countries imposing penalties on U.S. firms.
