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 because it forced Facebook and Instagram users to choose between seeing ads or paying to avoid them.
Not a huge blow to companies this large sadly.
I think it must be seen not in light of the monetary blow, but in light of the fact that the EU is pushing hard for these actors to change directions and to end some of their abusive behaviour.
Traffic fines are made to bankrupt drivers or to finance the state, but to encourage people to drive safely.
Yeah that really depends on location…in Denmark the minimum fine for speeding is 160€, and that’s if you’re just more than 3kmph above limit…it just increases from there and ends with something like a 1000€ fine and them withdrawing your drivers licence (a new licence is going to set you back 2000€). If you’re above 100% speeding the take the car too.
Not huge, indeed. It is possible, and desirable, that the EU is playing strategy with them. Maybe they hit softly now, just to show they mean to go on this regulation-path they choose, and to give a “warning”. Maybe they considered a too aggressive fine could make things worse. I’m not sure, just thinking.