Apple, Meta Fined €700m by EU for Breaking New Digital Competition Law
The European Union has fined Apple and Meta a combined €700 million for violating the bloc’s new digital competition rules, marking the first penalties under the recently implemented Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple received a €500 million (£428m) fine for restricting app developers from directing users to cheaper payment options outside the App Store. Meta was fined €200 million (£171m) for forcing Instagram and Facebook users to choose between accepting targeted ads or paying to avoid them.
The DMA aims to curb the dominance of tech giants and ensure fairer competition in the digital space. According to EU officials, both companies limited consumer choice, breaching key provisions of the law.
Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission’s executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, stated, “The decisions adopted today find that both Apple and Meta have taken away this free choice from their users and are required to change their behaviour.”
The fines, originally expected in March, were delayed amid rising trade tensions with the United States. President Trump has repeatedly criticized EU regulations affecting American firms. In February, the White House warned it may respond with tariffs against foreign policies that penalize US companies.
Both Apple and Meta have pushed back against the EU’s decision. Apple said it was “unfairly targeted” despite investing heavily to comply with the DMA. Meta’s global affairs chief Joel Kaplan accused the EU of handicapping successful American companies while applying different standards to Chinese and European firms.
The Commission says the DMA is meant to ensure users have full control over their data and that businesses can connect directly with customers without interference from dominant platforms.
