The European Union (EU) fined Apple $571 million and Meta $228 million on Wednesday for violating the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to rein in Big Tech power.
The European Commission said Apple broke “anti-steering” rules by preventing app developers from telling users about cheaper offers outside its App Store.
The EU ordered Apple to lift those restrictions and avoid repeating the behavior. Apple plans to appeal, claiming the ruling hurts user privacy and forces it to give away its technology.
Meta was fined for requiring users to accept data tracking or pay for ad-free access to Facebook and Instagram.
The EU said this violated users’ freedom of consent. Regulators gave Meta 60 days to fix its less-personalized ad model or face further penalties.
The EU is reviewing Meta’s updated ad approach, which uses less personal data. Tensions with the US rose as President Donald Trump criticized the EU’s enforcement and briefly imposed 20% tariffs on EU goods, which were later reduced to 10% during trade negotiations.