Europe "tests the waters" by first fining Apple and Meta 700 million, and then giving 60 days for observation
The European Union fined Apple and Meta €500 million and €200 million respectively, totaling $798 million. This move came after Trump threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on the EU. Analysts believe that the EU's penalties are relatively restrained, not reaching the maximum fine of 10% of the companies' global annual revenue, aiming to avoid further angering Trump
After Trump warned of retaliatory measures against the EU, the EU imposed fines of €500 million and €200 million on Apple and Meta, respectively, for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), totaling €700 million (approximately $798 million).
On April 23, according to media reports, the European Commission stated that EU regulators fined Apple €500 million under the Digital Markets Act, accusing it of failing to allow developers to link to external platforms for sales from its App Store, violating relevant regulations. Meta was fined €200 million for its ad-free business model on Instagram and Facebook.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera stated:
"Apple and Meta have failed to comply with the regulations. All companies operating in the EU must adhere to our laws and respect European values."
This is the first fine issued under the Digital Markets Act, and if the two companies do not comply within 60 days, they may face larger penalties. Additionally, regulators warned Apple that its new fee structure for app developers, designed to comply with EU regulations, does not meet the rules for large tech companies in the EU.
It is worth noting that on April 2, according to CCTV News, the White House issued a statement saying that Trump would impose a 10% "baseline tariff" on all countries and additional reciprocal tariffs. Trump has also made it clear that he views the EU's tech regulations as non-tariff trade barriers, claiming that the so-called "reciprocal tariffs" are aimed at such situations.
In this context, although the EU's penalties still amount to hundreds of millions of euros, they have been relatively restrained, as the Digital Markets Act grants regulators the authority to impose fines of up to 10% of a company's global annual revenue. Media reports suggest that this is likely the EU's attempt to avoid further provoking Trump
