EU Says Apple Antitrust Cases Unaffected by Trump Presidency

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A Financial Times report claiming that the European Union is “reassessing” its investigations into major US technology companies, including Apple, Google, and Meta, has been refuted by a European Commission spokesperson who denies that such a review is happening.

The European Union and competition chief, Margrethe Vestager, have been working on ways to clamp down on big tech firms. So far, the program has been reasonably successful, with the group of nations being the first to put in place a Digital Markets Act (DMA) that lays out specific conditions and potential fines for for not following the rules.

However, the Financial Times report claims the regulator’s plans for fines have been put on hold as it waits to see what the incoming Trump Administration will do. The report claims that only “technical work” will continue on the investigations into the tech firms, and no fines will be levied until the dust settles in the US.

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A European Commission spokesperson told the Financial Times that there is “no such review taking place” but that there are “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 determined that Apple was not in compliance with the Digital Markets Act following an investigation conducted last year. In November, reports surfaced that the EC was preparing to fine the Cupertino company for failing to implement changes that required Apple to allow developers to inform customers about cheaper subscription prices outside of the App Store.

Apple revamped its European App Store rules in 2024, making several changes to satisfy regulators, including allowing developers to distribute their apps outside of the App Store while putting new fee structures and policies in place.

In early 2024, the European Union fined Apple approximately $2 billion for anti-competitive behavior against competing music streaming services like Spotify. A fine for non-compliance with the DMA fine could be even heavier, with the law allowing for penalties of up to 10% of Apple’s global annual sales.

Tech CEOs, including Apple’s Tim Cook and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, have been attempting to make nice with President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to be inaugurated on January 20. The Financial Times report indicates that probes related to the DMA could be scaled back. A senior EU diplomat told the site that “So much is up in the air right now,” with officials and regulators waiting to see which way the wind blows before making final decisions on cases related to Apple, Google, and Meta.

In October, President-elect Donald Trump told reporters that Apple CEO Tim Cook had called him to vent about the European Union penalties. Trump then said he is “not going to let them take advantage of our companies.”

While it is highly unlikely that the EU will bow to political pressure from the US, it seems reasonable that the Commission could be reviewing its possible moves. With both Margrethe Vestager and Thierry Breton having stepped down from the Commission in charge of proposing EU policy to parliament, a change in those positions could well prompt the EC to reassess its current investigations, as well as its future plans.



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