The European Commission has been forced to deny that its record-breaking fines against Apple and Meta are politically motivated or linked to ongoing trade negotiations with the United States. Speaking from Mexico City, Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said the €500 million fine against Apple and the €200 million sanction against Meta were strictly legal decisions under the EU’s new Digital Markets Act.
“These are decisions rooted purely in the application of the law, just as we enforce rules in other areas—or as U.S. antitrust authorities also do. They have nothing to do with the tariff talks,” Ribera claimed during a press conference.
The fines, officially announced by the European Commission on April 23rd, mark a regulatory milestone in the European Union. Apple was fined for monopolistic practices within its App Store, while Meta was penalized for requiring users to pay a subscription to avoid personalized advertising. These are the first sanctions issued under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), a new law that took effect in 2024 to rein in the market power of major digital platforms.
The DMA is designed to prevent abuses that harm consumers and other businesses by establishing clear rules on interoperability, data usage, advertising, and access to digital markets. However, Commission sources have acknowledged that the law is a double-edged sword, as it could be used for political purposes.
So far, the only companies affected have been American. Under the DMA, fines can reach up to 10% of a company’s annual global turnover.
Ribera emphasized that Europe is not seeking to open new trade conflicts. “No one intends to feed a spiral of trade wars. We have worked hard to build a multilateral system based on rules and cooperation. The laws passed in our parliaments must be applied respectfully but firmly, regardless of who the actors are,” she said.
Despite the historic nature of these regulatory decisions, the presentation of the sanctions has drawn sharp criticism within the EU itself. Neither Vice President Ribera nor Internal Market Commissioner Henna Virkkunen attended the announcement in Brussels. Their absence was seen by several members of the European Parliament as a troubling sign at an important moment—the first time the DMA has been enforced. Questions and concerns were also raised by reporters during the press conference.
