The European Commission imposed fines totaling €700 million on Apple (€500 million) and Meta (€200 million) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
EU Vice President Teresa Ribera, currently in Mexico, defended the decision, stating it was unrelated to trade negotiations with the US. She highlighted that the fines were proportionate to the violations and aimed at ensuring compliance with EU law, noting that previous sanctions had proven ineffective in changing corporate behavior.
Ribera described the fines as applying a new regulation and therefore required a degree of proportionality. She stressed that Meta and Apple had been working toward compliance, with some issues already resolved.
Meta responded harshly, accusing the Commission of targeting successful US companies while allowing others to operate under different standards. They characterized the requirements to change their business model as a multi-billion dollar tariff.
Ribera dismissed Meta's reaction as “puerile” and “childish,” pointing out that other instances of tougher decisions from US courts or authorities had not elicited similar responses. She reaffirmed the EU's commitment to applying its regulations to all companies exceeding certain thresholds in the EU market, irrespective of their origin.