EU to Investigate Apple and Meta, Major Decision Coming Soon
The European Union (EU) will decide next month whether Apple and Meta have complied with the rules of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). EU competition chief Teresa Ribera has confirmed this.
The EU has implemented the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to prevent big tech companies from abusing their dominant market position. The European Commission has already brought several US companies under investigation, including Apple, Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and X (formerly Twitter).
Ribera said the EU would not compromise on its principles and rules. Apple was already forced to allow third-party app stores on iOS, to give smaller developers a chance. On the other hand, Meta is accused of promoting Facebook Marketplace unfairly, restricting competition with other classified ad platforms.
The EU’s actions have sparked resentment in the US. After Donald Trump became the new US President, the relationship between the US and the EU has changed. The Trump administration criticized the European Union’s stringent rules as ‘excessive’ and described them as a form of ‘taxation’.
The EU’s crackdown on big tech companies continues
Teresa Ribera has the power to approve or reject multi-billion euro deals and impose heavy fines on big companies. This decision will have a direct impact on other tech companies including Apple and Meta. It will be clear in the coming weeks what action the EU is going to take on these companies.
If Apple, Meta or other tech companies are found to be violating the rules of DMA and DSA, they may face penalties of billions of euros. The main objective of the European Commission is to ensure that fair competition is maintained in the digital market and consumers get better services.
Elon Musk’s company X (formerly Twitter) is also under investigation by the EU. However, Ribera said that this investigation is not on the owner of the company but about illegal content on the platform.
The European Union is tightening its grip on tech giants and this time Apple and Meta are going to be under intense scrutiny. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether these companies comply with EU rules. Non-compliance could result in strict sanctions and multi-billion euro fines.
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