EU Slaps Apple And Meta With $800M In Total Fines For DMA Violations

Apple and Meta have been hit with a combined fine of $800 million by the European Union (EU) antitrust regulators, over violations of the Digital Market Act (DMA). The DMA, which went into effect in 2023, is designed to promote fairness in competition among companies in the digital sector.

After one year of investigation, on Wednesday, EU regulators fined Apple €500 million ($570 million USD ) for practices it alleges unfairly limited app developers and users of Apple's App Store. Meta, on the other hand, was fined €200 million ($227 million USD) for the consent or pay model it introduced in 2023, which restricts users to two choices regarding their data: allow their data to be used for personalized ads, or refuse consent and pay a fee.

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera described the fines as a "firm but balanced enforcement action against both companies, based on clear and predictable rules. He added, "All companies operating in the EU must follow our laws and respect European values."

In reaction, Apple described the fine as unfair, detrimental to its users' security and privacy, and an attempt to force it to offer its innovations for free. This fine follows the one French antitrust regulators imposed on Apple last month over implementing a privacy feature that the regulators found to give Apple an unfair advantage over smaller competitors.


Meta has also denounced the fine as well. Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan described the fines as an attempt to hinder “successful American business” in favor of European and Chinese companies. He added, "This isn't just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service."

These fines may also draw the ire of President Trump amidst the ongoing tariff negotiations between America and Europe. Trump specifically referenced the DMA in February and promised to protect American companies and innovators abroad from exploitation. Hence, this incident could be perceived as a test of his readiness to follow through on his promise.

Both Meta and Apple have to comply with the orders within two months. However, Apple has indicated that it will challenge the fine, and it's a no-brainer that Meta will follow suit. Nonetheless, given the current timing of these fines, a political intervention is expected to play a huge role in resolving the issue.