Apple and Meta were each slapped with hundreds of millions of dollars on Wednesday for violating the European Union’s new competition law aimed at suppressing the power of major technologies.
EU antitrust regulators fined Apple $570 million to prevent app makers from pointing out users at cheaper options outside the App Store.
Meanwhile, Meta was hit with $230 million as Facebook and Instagram users forced them to choose to see the ads or pay to avoid them, WatchDog said.
The penalty was first imposed on large tech companies under the EU’s digital market law adopted in 2022.
Sanctions are attempting to allow small rivals to large corporations-controlled markets following a year-long investigation by the European Commission, following whether the companies are complying with landmark laws.
Apple has already vowed to challenge the verdict.
“Today’s announcement is another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple in a series of decisions that are bad for users’ privacy and security, products and enforce free technology,” Apple said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Meta has slammed a fine.
“The European Commission is trying to make American businesses successful while ensuring that Chinese and European companies operate under different standards,” the spokesman said.
“This isn’t just fines. The committee needs to force us to change our business model and provide inferior services while effectively imposing billions of dollars of tariffs on the meta.”
The decision was expected to take place in March, but authorities are said to have been held back amid the escalation of President Trump’s tariff war.
With post wire
