European Regulators Intensify Scrutiny of Big Tech
European regulators have significantly increased their scrutiny of major technology companies in recent years, launching numerous probes and imposing fines for various alleged antitrust violations and non-compliance with new regulations. Here’s a summary of some key actions taken by European watchdogs against big technology firms:
European Union (EU)
Apple
- July 11: Apple agreed to open its tap-and-go mobile payments system to competitors, settling an EU antitrust probe.
- Ongoing: Faces three investigations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for its business practices.
- March: Fined 1.84 billion euros ($1.97 billion) for antitrust violations following a 2019 complaint from Spotify.
Microsoft
- July 10: Gave up its board observer seat at OpenAI to alleviate antitrust concerns from U.S. and UK regulators.
- June 25: Charged by EU antitrust regulators for illegally bundling its Teams app with Office.
- January: Investigated for security software practices, as revealed in a document seen by Reuters.
Meta (formerly Facebook)
- July 1: Charged for failing to comply with DMA provisions in its new pay or consent advertising model.
- May 16: Investigated for potential breaches of EU online content rules regarding child safety.
Alphabet (Google)
- March: Investigated for possible DMA breaches.
- January: An advisor to Europe’s top court recommended upholding a 2.42 billion euro ($2.60 billion) antitrust fine for using its price comparison shopping service to disadvantage rivals.
General DMA Compliance
- September 2023: The EU identified 22 “gatekeeper” services from Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and ByteDance, mandating compliance with DMA provisions to facilitate user transitions between services.
- April: Designated Apple’s iPad operating system as a gatekeeper.
- November: Meta and TikTok appealed their gatekeeper status, with TikTok’s suspension request denied in February. Apple indicated ongoing engagement with the EC to comply with DMA rules.
Britain
- October: The UK’s media regulator requested the Competition and Markets Authority to investigate Amazon and Microsoft’s dominance in the UK cloud market.
France
- July 15: Investigated Nvidia for alleged anti-competitive practices.
- March: Fined Google 250 million euros ($268 million) for intellectual property rule breaches in its dealings with media publishers.
Germany
- October: Google agreed to modify its user data practices to end an antitrust investigation by the German cartel office.
Italy
- July 18: Launched a probe into Google and Alphabet regarding consent requests for connecting multiple services.
- June: Fined Facebook and Meta 3.5 million euros ($3.75 million) for unfair commercial practices.
- Ongoing: Investigated Apple for abuse of its dominant position in the apps market and Meta over music rights on its platforms.
Netherlands
- April: The Dutch privacy watchdog recommended government organizations cease using Facebook due to data privacy concerns.
- Last Year: Rejected Apple’s objections to 50 million euros ($53.6 million) in fines for non-compliance with App Store regulations.
Spain
- July 24: Opened an investigation into Apple’s App Store.
- May: Provisionally suspended two Meta products planned for the EU election on Instagram and Facebook due to data protection concerns.
Conclusion
European regulators continue to enforce strict scrutiny and regulation of big technology companies, aiming to ensure fair competition and protect user privacy. These actions highlight the ongoing efforts to regulate the digital market and address the dominant positions held by major tech firms.
