Techno

EU hits Apple and Meta with €700m of fines

Imran Rahman Jones

Technology correspondent

Getty phone screen photos with the European Union brand, with the Apple logo in the backgroundGety pictures

The European Union ordered Apple and Meta to pay 700 million euros (599 million pounds) in the first fines issued under recent legislation aimed at reducing the strength of large technology.

It has issued a fine of 500 million euros (428 million pounds) for Apple on the application store, while Meta was fined 200 million euros (171 million pounds) on the way it dealt with user data.

“We have the duty to protect the rights of citizens and innovative companies in Europe,” Commissioner Hanna Ferkkunin said in a statement.

Two technology has interacted angrily, as the European Union dead accused “of trying to hinder successful American companies” and Apple says it is “unfairly targeted” and forced to “give up our technology for free.”

Frains are lower than some of the European Union issued in the past, but – given the growing economic tensions with America – US President Donald Trump is still risked.

The United States has imposed a 10 % tariff on imports from the European Union, which Trump accused of “benefiting” from America.

European Union spokesman, Ariana Budista, insisted that things are “completely separate”, as BBC told: “This is related to enforcement, it is not related to commercial negotiations.”

The White House was contacted to comment.

Cookies and applications

The European Commission – the Executive Authority of the European Union – has started both investigations last year Under a new law brought to enhance fairness in the technology sector called the Digital Market Law (DMA).

The case was against Apple Above the application store.

The committee says it must freely provide alternative applications markets for users and application developers – and says Apple was in breach of this.

Meanwhile, the Meta fine was on the way it dealt with cookies – parts of the programming instructions included in the web sites that collect information about users.

Meta “Approval or payment“Form on Facebook and Instagram, which means that users had to choose between allowing cookies to track them, or pay a monthly subscription.

The committee says that this model did not allow users to agree freely on how to use their data.

In both cases, the committee says that the size of the fine takes into account “the risk and duration of non -compliance.”

The two companies have 60 days to comply or risk other fines.

“Apple and Meta have fallen from compliance with DMA by implementing measures that enhance the dependence of business users and consumers on their platforms,” ​​said Commissioner Theresa Ribera.

“As a result, we have taken fixed but balanced enforcement measures against the two companies, based on clear and predictable rules.”

Apple said that the committee made “a series of bad decisions for the privacy and security of our users, bad products, and forcing us to give up our technology for free.”

The committee also accused “”[moving] The goal of the goal “during their meetings.

Meta said that the ruler means that Chinese and European companies are allowed to work according to various criteria compared to American companies.

“This is not only a fine,” she said in a statement.

Epic conflict

The fines are relatively small due to the revenues of the huge technology companies around the world – a small part A fine of 2.4 billion euros From last September.

But it is important in the context of the current global economic situation.

In February, the White House released Donald Trump note It complains about the organization of the European Union and the United Kingdom of American technology companies.

“Today’s decisions are important in that it confirms that the European Commission will not decline,” Anne Witt, a professor of law at EDHEC in France, told the BBC.

The professor said A number of large technology companies to the court On alleged monopolistic authority.

She added that European institutions tell American companies about how to act, even if these decisions are limited to these companies act on European soil.

One of the companies that the referee facilitates Apple is epic games, Fortnite makers.

They had Long -term dispute To distribute their applications to Apple devices.

Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, said the referee was “great news for applicants all over the world” in Subject on x.

He urged the United States to pass similar legislation that would allow developers to distribute their applications without using the Apple App Store, which charges the arterial system use fees.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button