EU hits Apple and Meta with hundreds of millions of dollars in new fines, enforcing digital competition rules
CBSN
London — European Union watchdogs fined Apple and Meta hundreds of millions of euros Wednesday as they stepped up enforcement of the 27-nation bloc's digital competition rules. The European Commission imposed a 500 million euro ($571 million) fine on Apple for preventing app makers from pointing users to cheaper options outside its App Store. The commission, which is the EU's executive arm, also fined Meta Platforms 200 million euros ($228 million) because it forced Facebook and Instagram users to choose between seeing ads or paying to avoid them.
The punishments were smaller than the blockbuster multibillion-euro fines that the commission has previously slapped on Big Tech companies in antitrust cases.
Apple and Meta have to comply with the decisions within 60 days or risk unspecified "periodic penalty payments," the commission said.
