The European Commission handed down its first enforcement actions under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on Wednesday (23 April), going after Apple and Meta for failing to meet their gatekeeper duties. Two decisions concern Meta, three target Apple.
Apple faces a €500m fine for breaking the DMA’s ‘no steering’ rule, which requires gatekeepers to let app developers tell users about cheaper subscription offers outside their platforms, including through emails, links, or in-app cues. The commission said Apple’s commercial and technical restrictions still block this, even after partial changes in 2024.
Apple’s broad definition of “initial user acquisition,” which lets it charge fees even for transactions long after a user first finds an app, also came under fire. Apple now has 60 days to fix the issue or risk further penalties.
Meta’s case centres on its “consent or pay” model, which gives users two options: let Meta combine personal data across services for targeted ads, or pay for ad-free access.
The paid option saw very little uptake, well below one percent. And EU regulators said this meant Meta wasn’t offering a proper alternative to users who refused tracking, as required by the DMA.
Since people were effectively forced to accept tracking, the commission ruled that consent wasn’t voluntary. Meta was fined €200m and given the same 60-day deadline.
The fines come as US president Donald Trump has paused most of his tariffs for 90 days. Some fear that the EU’s move could provoke a backlash. But officials in Brussels insisted the decisions “had nothing to do with tariffs. Nothing.”
Wester van Gaal