Apps and use of personal data, new EU fines against Apple and Meta

"The Digital Markets Act protects European consumers," commented European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera, "Apple and Meta have not complied with the EU regulation, introducing measures that reinforce the dependence of companies and consumers on their platforms. As a result, we have taken firm but balanced action against both companies, based on clear and predictable rules'. This is the first time Brussels has opted for fines under the DMA.

Very harsh were the responses from the two American companies. "The fact that the Commission is forcing us to change our business model is tantamount to, in effect, imposing a billion-dollar duty on Meta," argued Joel Kaplan, a senior Meta executive. An Apple representative announced an appeal, saying: 'Today's announcements are yet another example of how the Commission has unfairly targeted Apple (...) Despite countless meetings, the Commission continues to move the goalposts at every turn.

Apple and Meta are obliged to comply with the Commission's decisions within 60 days, otherwise they risk the payment of periodic penalties, the EU executive points out. Today's decisions come at a time of evident coldness between the European Union and the United States, after Washington decided on the introduction of tous azimuts duties. Moreover, in the digital field, President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the European regulatory framework, which is too invasive in his eyes.

The minimum amount of the fines suggests that there is a desire on the part of the EU executive to avoid further aggravating bilateral relations. A European official pointed out that the legislation 'does not provide a formula' for calculating the fine, but only parameters related to the duration of the violation, its gravity and recidivism. Another official pointed out that the violation of European rules was relatively short and that the fine should be proportionate.

It should be mentioned that a much more politically controversial investigation is still ongoing, this time against X, the former Twitter. Since December 2023, the platform owned by Elon Musk has been under investigation. Under the rules introduced with the Digital Services Act, the company is allegedly violating European rules because it is not sufficiently transparent with regard to advertising and because it does not mitigate the risks of information manipulation.
(This article was updated at 12:25 p.m. on 23 April to take into account the reactions of Apple and Meta to the decisions of the European Commission).