Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – According to Reuters, Google and X might soon encounter fines from European regulators, who continue to take a hard stance on Big Tech, even amid worries about retaliatory tariffs from the U.S.
On Wednesday, EU antitrust regulators issued the first penalties under significant EU legislation designed to limit the influence of Big Tech, fining Apple and Meta a total of 700 million euros for breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and mandating the cessation of anti-competitive behavior.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed concern about the new regulations, viewing them as a tariff on American businesses. However, EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera rejected worries that she would yield to U.S. pressure and ease the enforcement of these rules.
“Apple and Meta have fallen short of compliance with the DMA by implementing measures that reinforce the dependence of business users and consumers on their platforms,”
Ribera said in a statement on Wednesday.
“All companies operating in the EU must follow our laws and respect European values,”
She stated.
Is Google next in line for an EU penalty?
The DMA outlines specific dos and don’ts for major tech companies to facilitate user transitions between competing online services, such as social media platforms, internet browsers, and app stores, while also aiding smaller competitors. The imposition of fines demonstrates that the European Commission has “bite” despite threats from Trump to impose tariffs on EU nations penalizing U.S. firms, according to a senior Commission official who requested anonymity.
As reported, this raises uncertainty about the potential influence of political factors on Europe’s future regulation of Big Tech, the sources report. According to Commission sources, this would mark the first instance in which the EU watchdog issues such an order in an antitrust case, highlighting its significant apprehensions regarding Google’s market dominance. In fact, even Microsoft was not subjected to such a severe action during its two-decade antitrust struggle with the Commission.
Andreas Schwab, a European Parliament lawmaker who spearheaded the negotiations on the DMA, urged Ribera to remain resolute and to make timely decisions regarding Google and X.
“There can be no leeway in enforcement as this may also impact the importance of competition policy in general,”
He stated.
Meyers emphasized that low fines shouldn’t be viewed as a dilution of EU competition policy, highlighting that ensuring companies adjust their business practices is of greater significance.
“The true measure of the DMA lies not in the Commission’s willingness to impose hefty fines, but in the observable improvements in competition levels,”
He stated. The Commission’s investigation into social media platform X has already provoked a strong reaction from owner Elon Musk. Last year, X was accused of violating the Digital Services Act. A decision, likely involving a fine, is anticipated in the coming months.
