Europe Tightens Grip on Big Tech with Wave of Antitrust and Content Rule Actions
European regulators have intensified their scrutiny of major technology companies, launching a string of investigations and imposing hefty fines over competition and digital content practices. The latest actions reflect the European Union’s continued efforts to rein in market dominance and enforce compliance under its growing suite of tech regulations.
Google Faces Multiple EU and UK Probes
Alphabet’s Google remains a key target of European antitrust authorities. On 9 December, the European Commission opened a new investigation into whether the company’s use of online content from publishers and YouTube for artificial intelligence development breaches EU competition rules.
Earlier this year, Google was fined €2.95 billion ($3.43 billion) for anti-competitive practices in its advertising business. The company’s legal battles have seen mixed outcomes: it overturned a €1.49 billion fine in September 2024 but failed to reverse a €2.42 billion penalty related to its shopping comparison service.
In the United Kingdom, the Competition and Markets Authority provisionally ruled in September 2024 that Google abused its dominant position in digital advertising. French regulators separately fined Google €250 million in March 2024 for breaching intellectual property rules in its dealings with media publishers.
Apple Confronts Expanding Regulatory Pressure
Apple has also faced mounting regulatory challenges across Europe. In October 2025, two civil rights groups filed a complaint with EU regulators over alleged unfair App Store terms. That same month, the UK designated Apple and Google as having “strategic market status”, granting regulators power to impose pro-competition measures.
The company has already paid significant penalties, including a €500 million fine under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) in April 2025 and an earlier €1.84 billion sanction for restricting music streaming rivals on its App Store.
Apple has lost several appeals in Germany and the EU, including a high-profile case requiring it to repay €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland. However, in July 2024, it agreed to open its tap-and-go payment system to competitors to settle another antitrust probe.
Meta, Microsoft and TikTok Under Fire
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and WhatsApp, was hit with a new antitrust probe on 4 December 2025 over AI features in WhatsApp. It also faces allegations of abusing its position to benefit Facebook Marketplace and violating advertising transparency rules under the DMA. Fines against Meta total nearly €800 million since late 2024.
Microsoft, meanwhile, was charged in June 2024 for bundling its Teams app with Office, a move the EU says stifles competition in workplace collaboration tools.
TikTok has not escaped scrutiny either. The Chinese-owned platform was accused in October 2025 of failing to provide adequate data access to researchers under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Earlier in May, it faced separate charges for non-compliance with ad transparency rules but avoided fines after agreeing to greater disclosure commitments.
X Receives First-Ever DSA Sanction
Elon Musk’s social media company X became the first to face penalties under the DSA, receiving a €120 million fine on 5 December for breaching EU online content regulations. The case marks a landmark enforcement step under Europe’s sweeping new tech governance framework.
As Brussels pushes ahead with strict oversight of digital giants, analysts expect further legal battles and policy shifts to follow, defining the next phase of the continent’s digital regulatory landscape.
with inputs from Reuters