EU slaps fines on Apple and Meta, risking Trump fury

Brussels, Belgium: The EU on Wednesday slapped Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines for breaking digital competition rules, risking the wrat...

Brussels, Belgium: The EU on Wednesday slapped Apple and Meta with 700 million euros in fines for breaking digital competition rules, risking the wrath of US President Donald Trump.

The penalties threaten to cause more tension in the already fraught relationship between the bloc and Trump, as the two sides discuss a deal to avoid his sweeping tariffs on the EU.

The European Commission fined Apple 500 million euros ($570 million) after concluding the company prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals.

The EU also fined Meta 200 million euros over its "pay or consent" system after it violated rules on the use of personal data on Facebook and Instagram.

The fines are the first under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect last year, forcing the world's biggest tech firms to open up to competition in the EU.