The European Union fined Apple €500 million and Meta Platforms €200 million on Wednesday in separate cases related to violations of digital competition regulations, the European Commission announced.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, imposed the €500 million ($571 million) fine on Apple for restricting app developers from informing users about alternative purchasing options outside its App Store, a practice the Commission said undermined fair competition and consumer choice.
In a separate ruling, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was fined €200 million for requiring users to either consent to personalized ads or pay a fee to avoid them.
Regulators said the company’s “pay or consent” model unfairly forced users into a choice that favored Meta’s advertising-based business model.
“These enforcement actions reflect the Commission’s ongoing commitment to ensure that dominant digital platforms comply with EU rules,” said the European Commission in a statement. Officials emphasized that both cases illustrate broader concerns about market dominance and the behavior of major tech companies operating in the 27-nation bloc.
The penalties are part of the EU’s broader push to implement and enforce the Digital Markets Act and other regulatory tools aimed at curbing anti-competitive behavior in the digital economy.
Both Apple and Meta have previously faced scrutiny under EU antitrust laws. The companies may appeal the Commission’s decisions to the EU’s General Court.
