The European Commission has imposed fines totalling €700 million on Apple and Meta for violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), citing anti-competitive practices by both US-based technology firms.
The penalties—€500 million for Apple and €200 million for Meta—are among the first major enforcement actions under the DMA, which came into effect earlier this year to regulate large digital platforms operating in the EU.
The decision was announced on 23 April, with EU regulators stating that both companies breached new rules designed to curb the dominance of so-called “gatekeepers” in the digital economy. Apple was penalised for restricting developers from directing users to alternative payment options outside the App Store, a practice that the Commission deemed obstructive to market competition. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was fined for its subscription model that removes adverts for a fee, which the Commission judged to be non-compliant with European consumer protection norms.
The Digital Markets Act, adopted in 2022 and enforced from March 2024, aims to establish fairer digital markets by imposing obligations on companies deemed to have a systemic role in the online economy. Under the legislation, gatekeepers—defined based on criteria such as market capitalisation and user numbers—can face penalties of up to 10% of their global turnover for non-compliance. Despite the sizable nature of the fines, the total sum levied on Apple and Meta remains relatively modest compared to the maximum allowable under the regulation.
The relatively restrained scale of the penalties has raised speculation that political considerations may have influenced the Commission’s approach. Bloomberg reported that officials were conscious of the broader geopolitical context, particularly transatlantic relations. There is concern within Brussels that aggressive enforcement against major US firms could provoke criticism from the administration of US President Donald Trump, who has previously accused the EU of targeting American tech companies unfairly.
Both Apple and Meta have indicated that they intend to contest the fines. In a statement issued from its headquarters in Cupertino, Apple described the ruling as discriminatory and claimed that the EU was attempting to compel the company to surrender proprietary technologies without compensation. The firm has confirmed that it will appeal the decision through the European legal system.
Meanwhile, Meta has accused the EU of favouring non-US competitors, suggesting that the regulatory framework is inconsistently applied. The company argued that its ad-free subscription model was introduced to comply with user consent requirements under EU privacy law, and maintained that the offering provides consumers with a meaningful choice.
Under the DMA, companies are granted a 60-day period to comply with the Commission’s findings. Should Apple and Meta fail to bring their practices in line with EU rules within this timeframe, they risk facing additional sanctions. These could include periodic penalty payments or further fines of up to 20% of global turnover for repeated infringements.
The current enforcement actions follow a series of preliminary warnings issued to several digital platforms earlier this year. The Commission has stated that its investigations into Apple remain ongoing. Of particular concern is Apple’s newly announced reward scheme for app developers in the EU, which regulators claim does not satisfy the conditions laid out under the DMA. Although Apple introduced the scheme specifically for the European market, it is believed that the modifications do not sufficiently address anti-competitive concerns.
This latest development represents a significant milestone in the European Union’s ongoing efforts to reshape the regulatory environment for digital platforms. The DMA forms part of a broader legislative package that includes the Digital Services Act, which focuses on content moderation and platform accountability.
Read also:
Digital Markets Act: European Commission Designates Apple as “Gatekeeper”
