Breaking | EU Commission fines Apple, Meta €700m for violation

The European Commission has imposed a total of €700 million in fines on tech giants Apple and Meta for breaching the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) — marking the first formal non-compliance actions under the legislation.

Apple was fined €500 million, while Meta received a €200 million penalty. Both companies may still contest the decisions in court.

The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, stated that the penalties were issued in response to actions that undermined fair competition and user choice on digital platforms within the bloc.

“Apple and Meta have fallen short of compliance with the DMA by implementing measures that reinforce the dependence of business users and consumers on their platforms,” said Teresa Ribera, EU Commission Vice-President.

Details of the Violations

• Apple was penalized for restricting app developers from marketing products outside of its App Store — a move the Commission said lacked justification as “objectively necessary or proportionate.”

• In response, Apple announced it would appeal, calling the decision “unfair” and harmful to user privacy, product integrity, and innovation.

“Today’s announcement is yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple… forcing us to give away our technology for free,” the company said in a statement.

• Meta’s fine relates to its controversial “pay-or-consent” model implemented on Facebook and Instagrambetween March and November 2024. Under this scheme, EU users had to choose between a paid, ad-free experience and a free version with personalized advertising.

• The Commission found this model in violation of the DMA, stating it failed to provide users with a true alternative that used less personal data while offering a comparable service.

Both companies have been given 60 days to comply with the DMA or face additional periodic penalties. Under EU law, fines can reach up to 10% of a company’s global annual turnover — and up to 20% for repeat offenders.

Geopolitical Undercurrents

The fines come amid ongoing trade tensions between the United States and the EU. Republican lawmakers in Washington have criticized the EU’s actions as disguised taxation on American firms.

However, the European Commission insists that the enforcement of the DMA is “firm but balanced”, and not politically motivated.

In 2024, Apple reported nearly $400 billion in revenue, while Meta posted approximately $165 billion — making both companies key targets under the EU’s expanding regulatory framework.