The European Union is "reassessing" its investigations into big U.S. tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Google, claims Financial Times, though a spokesperson from the European Commission has denied that such a review is taking place.
Tech CEOs like Apple's Tim Cook and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg have been cozying up to president-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to take office, and Financial Times suggests that probes launched under the Digital Markets Act could be scaled back. A senior EU diplomat told the site that "So much is up in the air right now," while other officials said that regulators are holding for "political direction" to make final decisions in cases involving Apple, Google, and Meta.
A spokesperson for the European Commission told Financial Times that there is "no such review taking place," but that the EC has "upcoming meetings to assess the general readiness of an investigation." None of the cases are "ready at a technical level," but the EC remains "fully committed to the effective enforcement of its rules."
The European Commission launched an investigation into Apple's compliance with the Digital Markets Act last year, and determined that it was not in compliance. A November report suggested that the European Commission is gearing up to fine Apple for failing to implement changes allowing developers to steer users to cheaper prices outside of the App Store.
Apple overhauled its App Store rules in Europe in 2024, and made several changes to satisfy regulators. European developers are able to distribute apps outside of the App Store, and there are new fee structures and policies in place.
The EU in 2024 fined Apple $2 billion for anticompetitive behavior against third-party music services, and if Apple is fined over DMA non-compliance, the fee could be higher. Under the DMA, the European Union is able to fine Apple up to 10 percent of its global annual sales.
Back in October, Trump claimed that Cook called him to complain about penalties from the European Union. At the time, Trump said that he is "not going to let them take advantage of our companies."
With Margrethe Vestager and Thierry Breton having stepped down from the European Commission, priorities could change. The EC's chief spokesperson said that there could be a "political reality" that "puts pressure on the technical work." The EC "will be looking and assessing on the basis of concrete measures and actions from the new administration."
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