Apple, Google, and Meta to be investigated for DMA violations in the EU

Apple, Google, and Meta to be investigated for DMA violations in the EU،

Apple, Google and Meta are in a delicate situation as the European Union spear a thorough investigation into whether they are complying with strict new laws aimed at reigning in Big Tech dominance. If they are caught violating the rules, they could face substantial fines, up to 10% of their annual income. Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for Competition Policy, announced that the Commission had opened five investigations into possible violations of the rules. compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Specifically, the Commission intends to examine Google and Apple's anti-steering regulations in their app stores, as well as to examine whether Google shows favoritism towards its own services in its search engine. Plus Apple Browser choice screen for iOS and Meta”payment or consent model” for advertising targeting are also under scrutiny. In addition, the European regulator is examining the fee system revealed by Apple for the distribution of applications outside the App Store and investigating whether Amazon prioritizes its own products on its platform. Additionally, the Commission granted Meta an additional six months to allow Messenger to communicate with other messaging services.

European Commissioner Thierry Breton said in a statement:

We are not convinced that the solutions proposed by Alphabet, Apple and Meta meet their obligations towards a fairer and more open digital space for European citizens and businesses. If our investigation concluded that there was a lack of full compliance with the DMA, gatekeepers would face hefty fines.

Following the investigation, the Commission will outline the steps required for each gatekeeper to address the concerns, as well as the measures the regulator plans to implement. In cases of non-compliance, the Commission has the power to impose fines of up to 10 percent of their annual aggregate revenues under the DMA and up to 20 percent in cases of “recidivism“Earlier this month, the big six tech giants designated as gatekeepers (Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and TikTok) under the DMA were required to comply with its regulations. These rules include:

Give customers the ability to change their default app
Remove pre-installed apps from gatekeeper
Prohibiting the elevation of a guard's own services above its competitors
Allow third-party app stores.

For Apple, the EU investigation adds to its woes, alongside a major antitrust probe in the US. The Justice Department and 16 attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the company last week, accusing it of violating antitrust laws by blocking competitors' access to the hardware and software features of its devices. Additionally, the EU recently fined Apple 1.8 billion euros ($2 billion) for preventing music streaming apps from informing users of the cheapest deals.