Apple and Meta fined under EU’s Digital Markets Act
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) has led to the European Commission imposing fines of €500 million and €200 million on Apple and Meta, respectively. These mark the first official findings of non-compliance since the DMA came into effect, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Apple and Meta are required to comply with the Commission's decisions within 60 days or face periodic penalty payments. The size of the fines reflects both the severity and the duration of the violations.
Apple and restrictions for developers and consumers
The Commission found that Apple had violated the DMA’s so-called “anti-steering” provision. Under the DMA, app developers must be allowed to inform users, free of charge, about alternative offers available outside the App Store and direct them to those alternatives.
However, the Commission determined that Apple imposes technical and commercial restrictions that prevent developers from fully using external distribution channels. As a result, consumers are deprived of access to potentially better or cheaper offers. Apple failed to demonstrate that these restrictions were objectively necessary or proportionate.
Meta and “consent or pay” model
Meta came under regulatory scrutiny over its advertising model introduced in the EU in March 2024. Under this model, users of Facebook and Instagram were given a choice: either consent to personalized advertising based on their data or pay a subscription fee to use the platforms without ads.
The European Commission concluded that this binary model violates the DMA, as it fails to offer a genuine choice. Users were not provided with an equivalent alternative that relied on less personal data while maintaining the same level of service. Moreover, the model did not allow users to freely give consent for data processing, as required by the law.
In November 2024, Meta introduced a revised version of the advertising model, claiming it uses less personal data. The Commission is currently reviewing whether this new approach complies with the DMA. However, the current decision concerns the period between March and November 2024, when no such alternative was available.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that Apple faced legal battle over unfulfilled AI promises in latest iPhones.
