Apple and Meta fined millions by EU over competition law

The EU has fined Apple and Meta millions of euros for violating regulations governing digital competition.

They are the first businesses to be penalized for violating a new legislation intended to boost competition in the digital economy of the European Union.

Apple was fined €500 million (£428 million) for preventing software developers from recommending less expensive alternatives outside of the software Store, while Meta was fined €200 million (£171 million) for making Instagram and Facebook users pay to avoid advertisements or see them.

The sanctions were imposed in accordance with the EU’s Digital marketplaces Act (DMA), a set of regulations intended to increase choice for companies and consumers and stop big tech from controlling digital marketplaces.

According to reports, authorities postponed the announcement of the EU’s choices until March due to the growing trade battle with President Trump.

The US president has frequently voiced his displeasure with Brussels’ laws that impact US businesses.

In February, the White House published a statement suggesting it would “consider responsive actions like tariffs” in the face of penalties and regulations that foreign countries charge on American companies.

Regarding the fines, both businesses have complained.

Apple said that the iPhone manufacturer had “spent hundreds of thousands of engineering hours and made dozens of changes to comply with this law” and accused the commission of “unfairly targeting” the company.

“The Commission is attempting to handicap successful American businesses while allowing Chinese and European companies to operate under different standards,” said Joel Kaplan, chief global affairs officer at Meta.

“Citizens have full control over when and how their data is used online, and businesses can freely communicate with their own customers,” stated Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty at the commission, which is what the DMA is intended to do.

“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,” Virkkunen stated.