EU investigations into tech giants under review

The European Commission is reassessing its investigations into major tech companies, including Apple, Meta, and Alphabet’s Google, according to a Reuters report citing the Financial Times Tuesday.

The review, covering cases launched since March 2024 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), could lead to changes or reductions in the scope of ongoing probes, according to sources.

The DMA, introduced in 2022, aims to curb big tech’s dominance with strict regulations and fines of up to 10 per cent of annual revenue for violations. While the review is ongoing, technical work on the cases will continue, but decisions and fines are on hold.

The report noted that US President-elect Donald Trump’s impending presidency has influenced the review, with tech giants urging him to challenge EU regulatory scrutiny. Regulators are reportedly awaiting political guidance on high-profile cases involving Google, Apple, and Meta.

Meanwhile, Meta recently ended its US fact-checking programme and signalled intentions to improve relations with the Trump administration. The EU is also investigating whether Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, violated content moderation rules.

Apple, Meta, Google, and the European Commission have yet to comment on the developments.

Attribution: Reuters

Subediting: M. S. Salama