EU strikes: Apple and Meta have to pay millions!

EU strikes: Apple and Meta have to pay millions!

Vienna, Österreich - On April 24, 2025, the EU Commission for the first time imposed punishments against large technology groups that violated the Digital Markets Act (dma) . Apple has to pay 500 million euros and meta 200 million euros, a crucial step in enforcing new competition rules in the digital sector. In the future, these punishments could be up to ten percent of the annual global sales of companies, which could have significant financial effects.

The Digital Markets Act aims to make markets fairer and more competitive. The guidelines oblige large digital platforms, including "gatekeepers", to open their services to competitors and thus facilitate access to their platforms. Apple was specially punished for the fact that third -party providers are not allowed to indicate sufficient offers outside the app store. Meta, on the other hand, violates the EU regulations with its "Pay-OR-CONSENT" model, which requires usage fees for rejection of behavioral analyzes

reactions to the punishments

Both companies have sharply criticized the decisions. Apple announced that it will appeal against the decision, since in her opinion, the decision endangers data protection and the security of the users. Meta also commented negatively and sees the punishment as a compulsion to change your own business model. These concerns were also taken up by the US government, which described the punishments as the "new form of economic extortion". According to Meta, the EU treats American companies unfairly, a feeling that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also confirmed in the USA.

The EU Commission had already initiated the investigation against both companies about a year ago. The Commission's Vice President, Henna Virkkuns, emphasized the DMA's goal of protecting the market for both consumers and companies. Despite the two -month period to adapt the business models, skeptical voices can be heard, especially data protectionists who criticize the consent of users as not "freely given". Consumer protection associations and software companies, on the other hand, welcome the EU's decision and demand strict compliance with the rules by the large technology groups.

market reactions and effects

Although the punishments are considerable, the share prices from Apple and Meta have so far largely been unaffected by the EU decision. However, Tim Sweeney from Epic Games described the punishments as positive news for software developers because they could strengthen the competition and promote innovations. In Austria, the EU's decisions were very well received, with politicians considered compliance with the laws by large corporations necessary. However, Andreas Audretsch from the Greens criticized the sentence as too mild and demanded tougher measures.

The imposition of these punishments shows the determination of the EU to regulate the influence of gatekeepers in digital space and to improve competitive conditions. The next steps of the companies concerned and the reactions of the international community will be crucial for the future design of the digital markets in Europe.

For more information on the background of the Digital Market Act, read the detailed information from vienna.at and Heise.de .