The head of the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee (IMCO), Anna Cavazzini, commenting on the fines imposed by the European Commission on Apple and Meta for violating EU digital rules, said that this was not the beginning of a “technological war” between the EU and the US, but the consistent implementation of the law.
On Wednesday, the European Commission imposed fines on Apple and Meta of €500 million and €200 million, respectively, for violating the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). The rules, which have been in force since March 2024, are intended to ensure fair competition on the EU market, including protecting it from big tech companies that use their dominant position in the market to suppress weaker rivals.
The EC imposed a fine on Apple because the company blocked application developers from advertising their products outside the company's App Store, on Meta – because the company prevented users from freely deciding whether to share their personal data with advertisers.
As the decision on penalties was announced at a time when talks are underway between Brussels and Washington on the tariffs that Donald Trump imposed (and then temporarily suspended) on products imported from the EU, talk quickly began in Brussels corridors that a crackdown on American technology companies could be part of the EU's tariff negotiations.
The EC has denied the reports, with spokeswoman Arianna Podesta assuring at a briefing on Wednesday that “law enforcement and trade talks have nothing to do with each other.”
The head of IMCO, German MEP Anna Cavazzini of the Greens, thinks similarly, saying that “Wednesday's decision is by no means the beginning of a 'technology war' in response to Trump's inconsistent tariff policy, but a consistent implementation of existing EU law.” She added that companies can very easily avoid fines – they just have to comply with European law.
The politician stressed that the DMA benefits both small and medium-sized technology companies and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic, because it promotes fair competition and prevents unfair trade practices that hinder the activities of smaller companies. “All companies operating in the EU single market must comply with EU rules, regardless of whether they are based in the EU or in third countries. It would be extremely worrying if the Commission delayed the procedures even further (…) giving the impression that the EU is being blackmailed by Trump's threats,” Cavazzini commented, recalling that at the beginning of the year some MEPs sent a letter to the vice-presidents of the European Commission, Henna Virkkunen and Teresa Ribera, asking them to speed up the proceedings in the case of the companies.
Consumer organizations also responded positively to the penalties. “The EC's decisions have shown big tech that if they want to operate in the EU, they have to play by our rules,” Agustin Reyna, director general of EU consumer organization BEUC, said in a statement. Reyna also noted that Apple and Meta had enough time to comply with the DMA.
From Brussels Jowita Kiwnik Pargana (PAP)
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