The European Commission has imposed fines totaling €700 million on Apple and Meta for violating the Digital Markets Act.

• Apple faces a €500 million penalty for breaching rules that prevent companies from steering consumers toward their own services.
• Meta has been fined €200 million for inadequately providing users with alternatives for services that utilize less personal data.

According to the Commission, Apple’s violations involve restrictions on app developers that prevent them from informing customers of more favorable offers outside of Apple’s ecosystem. In contrast, Meta’s infraction stems from an advertising model that offers users the choice between targeted ads based on personal data or a paid subscription for ad-free experiences, which the Commission deemed not compliant with user consent requirements.

Although these fines may appear significant, they represent only a fraction of the revenues generated by both companies daily. For perspective, Meta reported revenues of $164.5 billion in 2024, and Apple recorded $124.3 billion in their first quarter results this year.

How impactful these fines will be for the companies remains to be seen, but they certainly warrant attention as enforcement of the Digital Markets Act continues.