EU fines Apple and Meta millions for digital violations
EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said both Apple and Meta have 60 days to comply or face even higher fines.
Both Apple and Meta have 60 days to comply or face even higher fines. Picture: Canva
The European Union (EU) has announced a €700 million fine on both Apple and Meta for the violation of digital competition rules.
The EU accuse the two US tech giants of breaching the recently passed Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple and Meta fines
EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said both Apple and Meta have 60 days to comply or face even higher fines.
'So today, the commission has imposed fines of 500 million euros to Apple and 200 million euros to Meta for breaching the Digital Market Act. Now, Apple is indeed breaching its anti-steering obligations under the DMA by imposing a number of restrictions on app developers to steer their customers to alternative offers outside the Apple App Store.
'Meta, with its binary pay or consent advertising model, is breaching the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data,' Regnier said.
Apple might have to remove technical and commercial restrictions that prevent app developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside the App Store.
ALSO READ: Google to study Competition Commission report on R500m payment
After numerous exchanges with the Commission, Meta introduced another version of the free personalised ad model in November last year, offering a new option that uses less personal data to display advertisements.
The Commission is currently assessing this new option and continues its dialogue with Meta, requesting the company to provide evidence of the impact of this new 'less ads' model in practice.
Regnier added that the fines for Apple and Meta are the first ones under the DMA.
WATCH: Apple apologises for controversial iPad Pro 'crush' ad
Meta and Apple react angrily
The two tech firms have reacted angrily, with Meta accusing the EU of 'attempting to handicap successful American businesses' and Apple saying it was being 'unfairly targeted' and forced to 'give away our technology for free.'+
The EU started both investigations last year under a new law brought in to promote fairness in the tech sector.
ALSO READ: Zuckerberg downplays Meta's alleged abuse of power to acquire Instagram and WhatsApp [VIDEO]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
eNCA
19 hours ago
- eNCA
UK regulator leads crackdown on 'finfluencers'
LONDON - Market regulators from six countries are cracking down on the illegal promotion of financial products by influencers on social media, UK officials said. Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said the action, which began on Monday, has resulted in three arrests in the UK and the authorisation of criminal proceedings against three individuals. Some 50 "warning letters" have also been issued, which will result in more than 650 requests to remove content from social media platforms and more than 50 websites "operated by unauthorised finfluencers", the FCA added. It has also sent seven "cease and desist" letters, and invited four so-called finfluencers for interviews. "Our message to finfluencers is loud and clear," said Steve Smart, joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA. "They must act responsibly and only promote financial products where they are authorised to do so –- or face the consequences." The crackdown is being conducted jointly with regulators from Italy, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. So-called finfluencers, or financial influencers, use their social media audiences to promote investment products, share advice, or offer their opinions on investments. Many act legitimately, but some "tout products or services illegally and without authorisation through online videos and posts, where they use the pretence of a lavish lifestyle, often falsely, to promote success", according to the FCA. These products can be risky, such as cryptocurrencies. The announcement came as a group of British MPs said it had sent a letter to Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, asking for information on its approach to financial influencers. The letter from parliament's Treasury Committee follows evidence from FCA officials that Meta took up to six weeks to remove harmful content, longer than other platforms.
IOL News
21 hours ago
- IOL News
No Permanent Friends nor Foes in Global Politics
Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as they leave after holding a trilateral meeting, which included the French President, as part of the Chinese president's two-day state visit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on May 6, 2024. The idea of the world changing has become a habit, year-on-year, that statement provides no new information. Nonetheless, this opinion points out that what is happening [with strong support] is that global relationships are changing–old friends have become foes and new friends have been foes. This particular change rings true for the US and elsewhere. It also provides hope for ongoing disagreements, conflicts and war. Looking at tariffs, China has seen some of the highest rates against it by any country, in the form of Trump's Liberation day tariffs. Since 14 May, both the United States and China have agreed to suspend 90% of their Liberation Day tariffs for a period of 90 days and have withdrawn several other retaliatory duties. As a result, tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese goods dropped to 30%, while China will reduce its tariffs on American products to 10%. Although this does not signify a friendship, it does signal a willingness to reconvene on measures through communication. It indicates that the relationship between China and the US were at its worst when the US announced the Liberation Day tariffs (145%) against China. China and the European Union have traditionally maintained stable relations, with minimal conflict over core interests and strong economic and cultural ties. By 2022, China had become the EU's top import source and third-largest export destination, with bilateral trade surpassing €856 billion. European firms like Siemens, Airbus, and BMW are heavily invested in the Chinese market, fostering collaboration in technology and industry. However, mounting political pressure from the United States has disrupted this trajectory, prompting the EU to impose curbs on Chinese tech companies, scrutinise investments, and restrict academic exchanges—moves driven more by external influence than inherent discord. Amid Donald Trump's renewed political presence and his assertive 'America First' stance, the EU is increasingly recognising the value of strategic autonomy, pushing for a more balanced foreign policy and a reimagined, independent engagement with China. BRICS has played a fundamental role in relationship-building, particularly amongst those members of the global south. In fact, the beginning of this year saw Indonesia join as an official member of BRICS and official partners: Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan. These relationships entail economic, social, political, and environmental engagement fostering a commitment to shared development. The grouping is instrumental regarding the strong relationships between–China-Russia, China-South Africa, South Africa-Brazil. The grouping reinforces the autonomy of its members and partners often creating a revived awareness of previous or current relations that are or were exploitative and infringes national autonomy. On the point of relations there exists wars and conflicts that seem very permanent with no resolution in sight. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has seen devastations that killed many. Many countries are attempting to find a solution to the situation, for example, China, the EU, and South Africa. Putin and Trump's relationship appears strained by recent reports, as Trump attempts to have Ukraine & Russia come to a consensus, his efforts have seemingly rendered itself meaningless. The Israel-Palestine conflict is one that has perpetuated for many years since 1948 when Israel became a sovereign state. This conflict puts to task the notion that there are no permanent enemies. It has no real time when it will stop, even with external efforts to alleviate the issues. The US has positioned itself as an ardent supporter of Israel and other nations, like South Africa, are bastions for the cause of the Palestinian people. It is thus unsurprising that the US, under Trump, has accused South Africa of a fictitious 'white genocide' as South Africa has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the genocide of the Palestinian people. There are, in fact, very real genocides (at cumulative recorded deaths) in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as examples. The principle that there are no permanent friends or foes in global politics is more visible in today's rapidly shifting geopolitical climate. Relationships once thought stable—like those between the US and the EU—are evolving under pressure, revealing both fragility and potential. While tariff wars and political tensions mark deep rifts, temporary pauses in hostility and renewed dialogue suggest that cooperation remains possible, even after periods of hostility. However, perpetual conflicts such as those in Ukraine and Palestine challenge this notion, raising critical questions about whether some enmities can truly end. Amid this complexity, BRICS and its expanding network offer hope for a more balanced, multipolar world—where nations from the Global South engage on more equal terms, are weary of external pressures, and reaffirm their sovereignty through strategic partnerships. In a world of fickle loyalties and enduring struggles, BRICS stands as a testament to the possibility of resilient and principled international cooperation. Written By: *Cole Jackson Lead Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group Chinese & South American Specialist **The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.
Mail & Guardian
a day ago
- Mail & Guardian
We must all reclaim our information space
Elon Musk. (File photo) More South Africans arrived in the United States this week. But it is an old resident who made the most headlines. Elon has left the Doge office. He did so in bizarre pomp and ceremony, with Donald Trump looking to save both their faces with a predictably awkward golden key award ceremony. Musk and his Javier Milei-inspired chainsaw are no longer a factor in Washington. The same cannot be said for public life. Musk owns X/Twitter, one of the biggest social media platforms on the planet. He's had a huge following on it long before he took control in 2022. He relishes using that influence to peddle all manner of absurdity and falsity. Musk has been the figurehead of the open conspiracy of tech oligarchs that reign in the White House. They have made no secret of their willingness to do whatever is asked of them, knowing that the reciprocation will be ample (or indeed, the punitive repercussions for a failure to toe the line would be grave.) Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg's sycophantic about-turn on moderation was a perfect example of that reality playing out in real time. In that now infamous announcement video, he waxed lyrical about how he created Facebook to be a democratic marketplace of free ideas. That is a lie, of course. He created Facebook so college boys could rate women on the internet. Regardless, with other media and search engine owners included in the cohort, the fact remains that a few powerful men control the dominant means of creating and sharing information in 2025. Those white South Africans arriving as refugees in the US should be all the reminder we need of how pernicious a narrative can be; and that real-world consequences need not be grounded in truth or rational reasoning. It bears repeating: there is no white genocide in South Africa. It is imperative that we, as individual news consumers and practitioners, reclaim our information space. For as much as the oligarchs strut with the swagger of impunity, that is far from the case. While this would be an obvious segue into launching into a pitch to get you to subscribe, the struggle we face goes beyond promoting ideas of established media. There's a war going on for our attention. The mistake would be in thinking we have to take sides. We have to respect each other and the process of sharing ideas civilly, with a respect for the truth. If our engagement begins and ends with a retweet, our society will begin to look even bleaker. The algorithm only wins if you surrender to it.
