Apple and Meta Slam €700M EU Fines as “Unfair,” Raising Tensions with U.S.

The European Union has fined Apple and Meta a combined €700 million under its new Digital Markets Act (DMA), triggering sharp backlash from both tech giants and potentially deepening economic friction with the United States.

Apple was fined €500 million over its restrictive App Store policies, which the EU says violated competition rules by not allowing developers or users to freely access alternative app marketplaces. Meta received a €200 million penalty for its “consent or pay” model, which required users to either agree to data tracking across Facebook and Instagram or pay for ad-free access—an approach the EU deemed insufficient for genuine consent.

“This is about enforcement, not trade,” EU spokesperson Arianna Podesta said in response to concerns that the fines could escalate tensions with the Trump administration, which has already slapped 10% tariffs on EU imports and criticized European regulators for targeting U.S. tech companies.

Both Apple and Meta denounced the EU’s decisions. Apple accused the Commission of forcing it to “give away our technology for free,” adding that the rulings were “bad for privacy, security, and our users.” Meta claimed the measures effectively impose a “multi-billion-dollar tariff” on American businesses, while allowing competitors from Europe and China to operate under different standards.

The Commission justified the fines by citing the “gravity and duration” of the companies’ non-compliance and emphasized that both firms had 60 days to comply or face further penalties. EU officials said these actions are part of a broader commitment to ensuring fairness in the digital economy.

Supporters of the decision include Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who called the Apple fine “great news for app developers worldwide.” Epic has long challenged Apple’s control over app distribution and hopes the U.S. will adopt similar measures.

However, U.S.-based critics argue the EU is unfairly targeting American tech. The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, partially funded by Apple and Meta, warned that the EU’s actions signal a broader effort to “extract revenues from U.S. firms,” adding that the ruling is unlikely to sit well with President Trump’s administration.

While the €700 million in fines is smaller than previous tech penalties, such as Google’s €2.4 billion fine last year, the political and economic stakes are higher amid ongoing global regulatory battles and trade disputes.