Google, X next targets as Europe stays tough on tech regulation

Foo Yun Chee - Reuters - 13:11
Alphabet's Google and Elon Musk's X may be the next to face fines from European regulators, as they stay tough on Big Tech despite concerns of retaliatory U.S. tariffs, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
  • EU fines Apple and Meta for DMA violations
  • Ribera dismisses US pressure to soften enforcement
  • Google may face EU order to sell adtech business
BRUSSELS, April 23 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google and Elon Musk's X may be the next to face fines from European regulators, as they stay tough on Big Tech despite concerns of retaliatory U.S. tariffs, according to three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
EU antitrust regulators on Wednesday imposed the first penalties under landmark EU legislation aimed at curbing the power of Big Tech, doling out total fines of 700 million euros ($797 million) to Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab and Meta (META.O), opens new tab for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and orders to stop anti-competitive practices.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has taken issue with the new rules, believing they amount to a tariff on U.S. companies. But EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera dismissed fears that she may cave to U.S. pressure and soften enforcement of the rules.
"Apple and Meta have fallen short of compliance with the DMA by implementing measures that reinforce the dependence of business users and consumers on their platforms," Ribera said in a statement on Wednesday. "All companies operating in the EU must follow our laws and respect European values," she said.
The DMA sets out a list of dos and don'ts for tech giants to make it easier for people to move between competing online services like social media platforms, internet browsers and app stores and for smaller rivals to compete.
Imposing the fines shows that the European Commission has "bite" despite Trump's threat to slap tariffs on EU countries that fine U.S. companies, said one senior Commission official, speaking on condition of an...
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