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ARTICLE · 06 MAY 2025

Brussels vs Big Tech: First DMA Shots Fired, As Apple And Meta Receive Non-Compliance Penalties

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In a landmark move, the European Commission has fined Apple €500m and Meta €200m for failing to comply with conduct obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

United KingdomAntitrust/Competition Law
Christophe Humpe
Christophe Humpe
Greg Dowell
Greg Dowell
Roque Botas Armero
Roque Botas Armero

In a landmark move, the European Commission has fined Apple €500m and Meta €200m for failing to comply with conduct obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These are the first non-compliance decisions issued since the DMA became fully applicable in March 20241 and mark a decisive step in the Commission's enforcement of the new regime – signalling that it is prepared to act firmly against instances of non-compliance.

The non-compliance decisions

Apple's infringement: "anti-steering" rules

Apple was found to have breached Article 5(4) of the DMA, in relation to its App Store core platform service (CPS). Article 5(4) requires gatekeepers to allow business users, free of charge, to communicate and promote offers to end-users and to conclude contracts with them, regardless of whether they use the CPS to do so. In practical terms, this means that app developers must be able to "steer" app users to offers available outside the relevant gatekeeper's

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