The European Union has imposed hefty fines on Apple and Meta, totalling €700 million, in a landmark enforcement of the bloc’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA). The legislation aims to rein in the power of dominant technology firms and promote fair competition within the EU’s digital marketplace.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, penalised Apple with a €500 million fine after determining that the company breached the DMA’s anti-steering rules. Specifically, Apple was found to have restricted app developers from informing users about alternative purchasing options outside the Apple App Store, thus limiting consumer choice and competition. The Commission has ordered Apple to remove these technical and commercial barriers and to halt any further non-compliant behaviour within 60 days, or face additional penalties.
Apple criticised the decision, describing it as unjust and harmful to user privacy and product quality. The company highlighted the extensive efforts it has made to comply with the law.
“We have spent hundreds of thousands of engineering hours and made dozens of changes to comply with this law, none of which our users have asked for. Despite countless meetings, the Commission continues to move the goal posts every step of the way,” the tech giant stated.
Additionally, Meta was fined €200 million for its “consent or pay” policy introduced in November 2023, which required Facebook and Instagram users in the EU to either agree to personalised advertising or pay a subscription fee for an ad-free experience. The Commission ruled this approach violated the DMA’s requirement to offer genuine choice between services that use less personal data but remain equivalent in quality. Meta has since launched a less data-intensive advertising option, which the Commission is currently reviewing.
These fines come amid rising trade tensions between the United States and the European Union. The Trump administration previously threatened retaliatory tariffs on European goods in response to what it viewed as unfair regulatory actions targeting American tech firms. The White House condemned the EU’s penalties as a “novel form of economic extortion” and vowed to resist regulations that extend beyond borders to disadvantage American companies.
EU officials have emphasised that the DMA applies equally to all companies operating within the Union, regardless of their country of origin.
“Ownership and location of a company are irrelevant to us. Whether it’s a Chinese, American, or European company, compliance with EU regulations is mandatory,” Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.
Although the fines are smaller than previous multibillion-euro antitrust penalties imposed on technology giants, they signal the EU’s determination to regulate digital markets and safeguard consumer rights and competition.