It also lifted a decision that designated Facebook Marketplace as a regulated service, meaning that part of Meta’s business no longer falls within the remit of the DMA.
Finally, the Commission opted to escalate its enforcement effort against Apple’s app store, issuing the iPhone-maker with a charge sheet concerning its dealings with alternative app marketplaces. These preliminary findings still need to be investigated further but could mean more DMA fines for Apple down the line.
In a press release accompanying the decision, EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said: “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. As a result, we have taken firm but balanced enforcement action against both companies, based on clear and predictable rules.”
Apple spokesperson Emma Wilson said in a statement that the company intends to appeal the Commission’s decision while continuing discussions on compliance. The EU executive’s decisions are “yet another example of the European Commission unfairly targeting Apple,” said Wilson. “Despite countless meetings, the Commission continues to move the goal posts every step of the way,” she said.
In a statement, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan said the decision effectively amounts to a “multi-billion-dollar tariff” that would also hurt European businesses and economies. “The European Commission is attempting to handicap successful American businesses while allowing Chinese and European companies to operate under different standards,” he said.
The EU’s clampdown on Apple and Meta comes after U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration sought to pull the bloc’s digital rulebook into its trade conflict with Europe, saying in February it would consider retaliatory measures in response to actions taken against U.S. tech companies.
The Commission signaled last week that it would not let the trade onslaught distract it from its law enforcement duties, with President Ursula von der Leyen telling POLITICO that the bloc’s digital rules must be enforced.
This story has been updated to add reactions from Apple, Meta and the European Commission.
