The European Commission launched measures today, Monday, against Apple, Alphabet (Google), and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) for alleged violations of European competition rules, marking the first actions taken under the new Digital Markets Act. This step is seen as "worrying" by a lobbying group that supports tech giants.
Brussels has been in discussions for months with these three major American internet companies regarding their plans to comply with the regulations that took effect at the beginning of March. After years of accusations against these giants for abusing their significant positions, with no real outcomes due to insufficiently stringent legislation, the European executive hopes that the new rules will provide a legal weapon to tackle violations.
European Commissioner for Digital Affairs Thierry Breton stated, "We can already see changes in the market. However, we are not convinced that the solutions proposed by Alphabet, Apple, and Meta meet their obligations."
"CCIA," one of the leading lobbying groups supporting the tech sector and including the three giants among its members, quickly condemned the new measures. The head of the group’s European branch, Daniel Friedlander, said, "The timing of this announcement, while the Digital Markets Act compliance workshops are still ongoing, makes it seem as though the Commission is opting for the utmost escalation." Friedlander added, "As we all know, collecting data takes time. But what we are seeing now sends a concerning signal that the EU may rush into investigations without knowing what they are investigating."
