EU FINES APPLE €500M AND META €200M FOR DIGITAL MARKETS ACT VIOLATIONS

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM • The European Commission has levied significant fines against tech giants Apple (€500 million) and Meta (€200 million) for breaching the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Apple was penalized for preventing app developers from redirecting consumers to external services, while Meta was cited for failing to offer users a less data-intensive alternative to personalized advertising. These mark the first penalties issued under the DMA's new regulations.

Brussels, Belgium, April 23, 2025 – 12:09 PM – The European Commission has fined Apple €500 million and Meta €200 million for violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA). For Apple, Brussels stated it found a breach of the anti-steering obligation, which prevented consumers from being redirected to external services. For Facebook's parent company, Meta, the Commission alleged a violation of the obligation to offer users the choice of a service that uses less personal data. These are the first penalties decided for non-compliance with the DMA.

Compliance Required Within 60 Days

Both Apple and Meta are now required to comply with the European Commission's decisions and rectify the contested behaviors within 60 days, or they risk incurring periodic penalty payments. The fines imposed, the EU executive explained, took into account the gravity and duration of the non-compliance and are well below the 10% of turnover cap stipulated by the DMA for violations.

Specifically, regarding Apple, under the DMA, app developers distributed on Apple's App Store should be able to inform customers of alternative external offers, direct them to such offers, and allow them to make purchases. However, according to the Commission, Apple failed to comply with this obligation, and the company has not demonstrated that the restrictions are necessary and proportionate. The Commission therefore ordered Apple to remove technical and commercial restrictions on app management and to refrain from continuing the non-compliant conduct. The Commission also stated it has closed its investigation into Apple's user choice obligations, thanks to Apple's timely and proactive engagement in seeking a compliance solution.

As for Meta, the non-compliance decision concerns the 'consent or pay' model introduced in November 2023 for Facebook and Instagram users, who could choose between consenting to the combination of personal data for personalized advertising or paying a monthly subscription for an ad-free service. Under the DMA, companies designated as gatekeepers must obtain user consent to combine their personal data across services. Users who do not consent must have access to a less personalized but equivalent alternative. According to the EU executive, Meta's introduced model did not allow users to freely exercise their right to consent to the combination of their personal data. The penalty specifically targets the offer between March 2024, when DMA obligations came into effect, and November 2024, when Meta changed its model. Meta's new offer, which includes an option using a smaller amount of personal data to display advertisements, remains under review. Additionally, the Commission also determined that the online intermediation platform Facebook Marketplace is no longer designated under the DMA (having fewer than 10,000 business users in 2024).

Meta: "EU Commission is Trying to Penalize US Companies"

Regarding the matter, Meta sought to clarify the company's position through a statement. "The European Commission is seeking to penalize successful American companies while allowing Chinese and European businesses to operate under different standards," said Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta. "The fact that the Commission is forcing us to change our business model effectively amounts to imposing a multi-billion dollar tariff on Meta, forcing us to offer a lower-tier service. Furthermore, by unfairly restricting personalized advertising, the European Commission is also harming European businesses and economies."