Brussels has fined Apple and Meta over €700 million combined, launching its first crackdown under the Digital Markets Act aimed at curbing big tech’s power and boosting competition in the digital economy.
The European Union has taken its first major enforcement step under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), levying significant fines against American tech giants Apple and Meta. The move underscores the bloc’s growing resolve to regulate dominant digital platforms and restore balance to the online economy.
Apple received a €500 million ($570 million) fine for what regulators called anti-competitive practices—specifically, restricting app developers from directing users to more affordable purchasing options outside of the App Store. According to EU authorities, this undermined consumer choice and stifled fair competition.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was fined €200 million. The European Commission found its “pay or consent” model—where users must either accept targeted ads or pay a fee to avoid them—violated the DMA’s provisions on user autonomy and freedom of choice.
The Digital Markets Act, which came into force earlier this year, targets large digital platforms designated as “gatekeepers,” requiring them to allow fair access for competitors and greater transparency for users. The enforcement actions mark a key moment in the EU’s campaign to curtail the dominance of global tech firms.
The penalties, originally anticipated in March, were delayed due to rising trade tensions with the United States under President Donald Trump. Nonetheless, EU regulators have pressed forward, aiming to set a precedent for strict digital oversight.
Apple sharply criticised the decision, arguing that it had invested substantial resources to comply with the new legislation and calling the fine “unfair.” The company claimed it had implemented dozens of changes and spent “hundreds of thousands of engineering hours.”
Meta also objected, with Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan accusing the EU of applying unequal standards. He suggested that the regulation was designed to “handicap successful American businesses” while giving competitors in Europe and China more leeway.
Industry observers say the fines may fuel further friction between Brussels and Silicon Valley, as governments worldwide continue to debate how best to regulate big tech’s outsized influence on digital markets.
The United Kingdom will formally recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations in September if Israel fails to take "substantive steps" to en...
A team from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) has developed a titanium alloy using 3D printing that is significantly cheaper and pote...
A gunman who killed four people and injured several others in a Manhattan office building left a note blaming the NFL for a brain injury he believed h...
Turkish Airlines, the country's flag carrier, has announced that it will resume flights from Istanbul to Aleppo, Syria’s second-largest city, beginn...
Spotify projected third-quarter profit below market expectations on Tuesday, citing increased tax expenses linked to employee compensation, despite st...
Apple and mining company MP Materials announced a joint $500 million investment to develop a rare earth magnet recycling facility, with plans to bolster U.S.-based production and reduce reliance on China.
Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to block the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their platforms over illegal data transfers and privacy concerns.
A year after unveiling its bold AI strategy, Apple finds itself in an unexpected place — not at the forefront, but falling behind. As rivals accelerate, Apple stands at a crossroads.
A U.S. appeals panel has rejected Apple’s request to pause a ruling that restricts the tech giant from charging commissions on in-app purchases made outside its payment system—delivering a major blow to the company in its long-running legal fight with Epic Games.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Spotify projected third-quarter profit below market expectations on Tuesday, citing increased tax expenses linked to employee compensation, despite strong demand for its premium subscription services.
Microsoft is reportedly in advanced negotiations to revise its agreement with OpenAI, aiming to maintain access to the startup’s cutting-edge AI technology even if OpenAI achieves artificial general intelligence (AGI), according to Bloomberg News, which cited sources familiar with the matter.
Türkiye is pressing Iraq to include a clause in a new energy deal that guarantees full utilization of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which has remained idle since 2023 due to legal disputes.
European automakers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz are set to gain €4 billion from a new EU-U.S. trade agreement that lowers tariffs on vehicle exports. The move offers relief in a key market but still leaves duties higher than pre-2024 levels.
Oil prices rose on Monday after the United States clinched a trade deal with the European Union and may extend a tariff pause with China, relieving concerns that higher levies could have hurt economic activity and limited fuel demand.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment