Apple and Meta punished by the EU. “This is a protection that is in the interest of all of us”
The European Commission has taken decisive steps against two American technological giants, imposing penalties on Apple and Meta for violations of EU regulations contained in Digital Markets Act. This is the effect of monopolistic practices of both companies and an attempt to counteract their dominance to create space for smaller players on the online market. Both companies announce an appeal against the decision and try to present punishment as a retort as part of an economic conflict between the US and Europe.
Penalties for violating new regulations
The European Union finished Apple with a fine of $ 570 million (about EUR 500 million), and the finish line 228 million dollars (about 200 million euros) for violating the provisions of the act on digital gutters, commonly known under the name DMA. The purpose of these regulations is to counteract monopolistic practices and open digital markets for smaller players, such as independent application developers or alternative advertising platforms.
DMA aims to force technological giants to change their business activities to support fair competition and protect the interests of consumers.
An example of a violation is Apple breaking the Steering Rule principle, which requires that the creators of the application in the App Store can freely inform users about cheaper alternatives outside the platform. In turn, the meta was punished for the recently introduced rule “pay or consent”. This model offered Facebook and Instagram users a selection between a free service with data -based advertising and a paid version without advertising. The European Commission decided that this approach limits the freedom of choice and violates DMA.
