The EU slams Apple and Meta with a combined fine of almost $800 million

Apple and Meta were fined $570 million and $228 million on Wednesday, as EU regulators ended a year-long investigation into whether the two tech giants were compliant with Europe’s competition laws.  

The fines are a potential watershed moment for the fight against unfair monopolies, as they represent the first sanctions rolled out under Europe’s Digital Markets Act, which seeks to pull back the power of Big Tech in favour of smaller participants and healthier competition across markets.  

The European Commission found Apple to be in breach of the DMA’s rules on app stores, and fined Meta for its “pay or consent” model on advertising, which requires European users to pay to access ad-free versions of its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram.  

The fines imposed by European lawmakers represent the latest blow to GAMMA – an acronym for the world’s “Big Five” tech companies — which comes less than a week after a US court ruled that Google was guilty of violating US antitrust rules.  

Europe's latest action against Apple and Meta also arrive at a time of tense relations between Europe and the United States. President Trump has threatened heavy tariffs as punishment for countries which fine American companies. 

Despite facing stark political pressure from across the Atlantic, Europe has held firm in taking its first major action under the bloc’s marquee competition legislation.  

Earlier this month the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Teresa Ribera pushed back against American pressure and came to the defence of the DMA during a public appearance in Washington DC.  

“The DMA is not intended to go against anyone, but to ensure there is room to facilitate protection for users,” Ribera said, adding that “we will defend Europeans, European business and European citizens.”  

While these fines represent a potentially historic moment for the fight against monopolies, enthusiasm must also be tempered.  

Last year, governments around the world issued fines against tech companies with a combined value of $8.2 billion, a total value which took the sector’s most powerful mere weeks to pay off. 

It is welcome that the European Commission has not wavered against US pressure and is enforcing the DMA to protect European citizens and business. Regulators need  to take the next step of breaking up structural power of the tech giants if they are to create the conditions for a new digital economy that serves public goals,” said Balanced Economy Project’s Executive Director Claire Godfrey.