The European Union has rolled out hefty fines for tech giants Meta and Apple.
The world’s biggest tech giants were fined nearly $796 million (combined) for non‑compliance with the DMA. These were reportedly the first penalties shared for going against the highly debatable legislation in that part of the world.
iPhone maker Apple’s (€500 million or $568 million) penalty had to do with the policies shared on the App Store. The company was warned to enable users to install apps from different stores owned by third parties in the region. This was in early 2024, and at the time, it complied with the guidelines. However, as per regulators, it stopped developers from marketing those options through their apps.
As a result, users couldn’t make the most of the diverse and cost-effective offers as the company stops developers from bringing these offers to users’ attention. The organization was said to fail at proving that such restrictions are necessary and adequate.
Other than the huge fine, the EU ordered the Cupertino firm to get rid of any restrictions on app developers so they could provide alternative options to users.
On the other hand, Facebook’s parent firm received a slightly smaller fine of $227 million (€200 million) for how it handled the controversial cookies subject between March and November last year. At the end of 2023, both Facebook and Instagram rolled out what the EC referred to as Consent or Pay models for advertising. This meant EU users would have the chance to get rid of ads as a whole by paying a subscription fee of $10.5 each month.
As per the EU, this was not in line with the Digital Markets Act and didn’t give users the choice to select a service that makes use of less personal data. Meta rolled out a new system that it feels uses less personal information to show ads, which is currently under scrutiny.
For now, the tech giant is getting fined temporarily before such a system comes into play. Meanwhile, there is a reason to celebrate as the EU claims Facebook’s marketplace wouldn’t come under the DMA any longer since it entailed less than 10k business users last year.
The Digital Markets Act is a major instrument for unlocking the true potential and options of users by making sure digital players operate across fair and competitive markets. This ensures all EU consumers remain protected at all times and work across a level playing field.
Both companies were labeled by the EU for falling short of complying with the Digital Markets Act by rolling out measures that reinforce how dependent business users and others are on these apps.
Now, both companies need to pay their penalties within a two-month mark or else they would risk paying heftier fines for every day that passes by. For now, Apple claims it’s preparing to appeal the decision, and it looks like Meta won’t be sitting down in silence either, as shared by a recent report by the New York Times.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Google Ads Saw a 9% Growth in Ad Spending in Q1 2025
The world’s biggest tech giants were fined nearly $796 million (combined) for non‑compliance with the DMA. These were reportedly the first penalties shared for going against the highly debatable legislation in that part of the world.
iPhone maker Apple’s (€500 million or $568 million) penalty had to do with the policies shared on the App Store. The company was warned to enable users to install apps from different stores owned by third parties in the region. This was in early 2024, and at the time, it complied with the guidelines. However, as per regulators, it stopped developers from marketing those options through their apps.
As a result, users couldn’t make the most of the diverse and cost-effective offers as the company stops developers from bringing these offers to users’ attention. The organization was said to fail at proving that such restrictions are necessary and adequate.
Other than the huge fine, the EU ordered the Cupertino firm to get rid of any restrictions on app developers so they could provide alternative options to users.
On the other hand, Facebook’s parent firm received a slightly smaller fine of $227 million (€200 million) for how it handled the controversial cookies subject between March and November last year. At the end of 2023, both Facebook and Instagram rolled out what the EC referred to as Consent or Pay models for advertising. This meant EU users would have the chance to get rid of ads as a whole by paying a subscription fee of $10.5 each month.
As per the EU, this was not in line with the Digital Markets Act and didn’t give users the choice to select a service that makes use of less personal data. Meta rolled out a new system that it feels uses less personal information to show ads, which is currently under scrutiny.
For now, the tech giant is getting fined temporarily before such a system comes into play. Meanwhile, there is a reason to celebrate as the EU claims Facebook’s marketplace wouldn’t come under the DMA any longer since it entailed less than 10k business users last year.
The Digital Markets Act is a major instrument for unlocking the true potential and options of users by making sure digital players operate across fair and competitive markets. This ensures all EU consumers remain protected at all times and work across a level playing field.
Both companies were labeled by the EU for falling short of complying with the Digital Markets Act by rolling out measures that reinforce how dependent business users and others are on these apps.
Now, both companies need to pay their penalties within a two-month mark or else they would risk paying heftier fines for every day that passes by. For now, Apple claims it’s preparing to appeal the decision, and it looks like Meta won’t be sitting down in silence either, as shared by a recent report by the New York Times.
Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Google Ads Saw a 9% Growth in Ad Spending in Q1 2025
