EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager has issued a warning to tech giants Apple and Meta Platforms regarding their new fees for their services. This comes amidst growing concerns that these fees could potentially violate competition law. Vestager has expressed a keen interest in investigating Apple’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act, specifically focusing on the fees they have implemented for their App store. Additionally, she has raised concerns about Meta’s controversial tactic to extract consent from users, signaling doubts about its legality.

EU’s Vestager Warns About Apple, Meta Fees and Disparaging Rival Products

The European Union’s antitrust chief, Margrethe Vestager, has recently put Apple and Meta Platforms on notice about their new fee structures. In an exclusive interview, Vestager reveals that the EU is closely scrutinizing these fees and expressing doubts over their legality. With the implementation of the Digital Markets Act, which aims to foster more competition in the tech industry, Apple’s compliance with the legislation is under investigation. The concern is centered around their App store fees and whether they may impede fair competition.

Key Points:

Margrethe Vestager warns Apple and Meta Platforms about their new fees for services.

EU expresses keen interest in investigating Apple’s compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

Concerns raised over Apple’s App store fees potentially violating competition law.

Meta’s controversial tactic to extract user consent also under scrutiny.

EU signals doubts about the legality of Meta’s privacy fee.

“We will be investigating the new marketplace fees implemented by Apple and analyzing their compliance with the Digital Markets Act,” warns Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s head of antitrust.

The initiation of this investigation sends a clear message that the EU is prepared to take a strong stance against anticompetitive practices by powerful tech companies. Vestager’s warning raises questions about whether Apple and Meta’s new fee structures may disrupt fair competition and disadvantage smaller players in the industry. Developers will be watching closely to see how the EU proceeds with these investigations and what consequences may follow for Apple and Meta.