The European Commission found that Apple breached its anti-steering obligation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and that Meta breached the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data. Therefore, the Commission has fined Apple and Meta.

According to&nbsp;<a data-analytics-event-attached="true" href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/86793/ANNA_CAVAZZINI/home" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Anna Cavazzini</a>&nbsp;(Greens/EFA, DE), Chair of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection,

"...this&nbsp;&nbsp;decision is by no means the start of a ‘tech war’ in response to Trump's erratic tariff policy. Instead, it is the consistent implementation of existing EU law. This includes, as a last resort, imposing fines on Apple and Meta under the DMA regulation to ensure they comply with EU digital legislation.&nbsp;It is very easy for companies to avoid this: they just have to comply with European law.”

The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) have two main goals: to create a safer digital space in which the fundamental rights of all users of digital services are protected and to establish a level playing field to foster innovation, growth, and competitiveness, both in the European Single Market and globally.

The&nbsp;Digital Services Act (DSA)&nbsp;aims to create a safer digital space in which users rights are protected, including rules to tackle illegal content online, enhance the accountability and transparency of algorithms, and dealing with content moderation and targeted advertising.

Digital Markets Act&nbsp; (DMA) sets rules on what big online platforms will be allowed to do and not do in the EU. It&nbsp;blacklists certain practices of large platforms acting as “gatekeepers” and enables the Commission to carry out market investigations and sanction non-compliant behaviour.

Digital Services and Digital Markets Act

MEPs discuss the need to enforce the Digital Services Act (DSA) to safeguard democracy from foreign interference and algorithmic manipulation. 
The debate with Council and Commission representatives will focus on the compliance of major social media companies with the DSA, which sets clear obligations for digital service providers to tackle the spread of illegal content, online disinformation, and other societal risks. 
MEPs are expected to express concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability of platforms’ recommender systems and their failure to tackle risks, like disinformation and foreign interference. This follows a plenary debate on 17 December 2024, which addressed the issue of online disinformation in European elections. During that discussion, many MEPs urged the Commission to actively enforce the DSA and impose sanctions on platforms that violate EU rules.  
MEPs are also likely to bring up the future of the transatlantic partnership on technology, particularly in the context of the inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump on 20 January, Elon Musk’s involvement in the US government and Meta’s recent decision to end its fact-checking programme. 
Background 
While the DSA does not regulate personal views or opinions, it introduces measures to tackle illegal content - such as terrorist material and child sexual abuse - in full compliance with the principles of freedom of expression and information. The legislation ensures users have a right to challenge unlawful or arbitrary content moderation decisions by online platforms. At the same time, online platforms are required to be more transparent about their operations, including about their “recommender systems”.

Debate on the need to enforce DSA to protect democracy

EP Plenary session - The decision to impose a fine on Google: defending press and media freedom in the EU

EP Plenary session - Promoting EU digital rules: protecting European sovereignty

Press conference on Enforcing the Digital Services Act

EP Plenary session - The need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms against foreign interference and biased algorithms

EP Plenary session - Commission statement - Global measures towards social media platforms - Strengthening the role of DSA and protecting the democracy and freedom in the online sphere

EP Plenary session - Topical debate (Rule 162) - The fight against hate speech and disinformation: responsibility of social platforms within the Digital Services Act

EP Plenary session - Council and Commission statements - Fighting disinformation and dissemination of illegal content in the context of the Digital Services Act

EP Plenary session - Short presentation on eGovernment accelerating digital public services that support the functioning of the single market

MEPs debate with Council and Commission representatives ways to promote and protect the EU’s digital rules and reduce tech dependency on non-EU actors. The debate focuses on the importance of building a secure and autonomous digital economy and of implementing the EU’s digital rules in full. MEPs call on the Commission to make full use of its regulatory powers, to maintain the highest standards for its citizens and businesses and to step up investment in EU digital infrastructure.

Promoting EU digital rules: protecting European sovereignty: MEPs debate (part 2)

Closing statements by Henna VIRKKUNEN, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracyand Marie BJERRE, Danish Minister for European Affairs. The debate focuses on the importance of building a secure and autonomous digital economy and of implementing the EU’s digital rules in full. These rules include the Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts, the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Data Act, the Chips Act and the Crypto-assets rules. MEPs call on the Commission to make full use of its regulatory powers, to maintain the highest standards for its citizens and businesses and to step up investment in EU digital infrastructure. Since the EU-US trade agreement was reached over the summer, pressure to defend the EU’s digital rulebook has been rising. This transcription if the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Promoting EU digital rules: protecting European sovereignty: Closing statements by Henna VIRKKUNEN, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracyand Marie BJERRE, Danish Minister for European Affair

MEPs debate with Council and Commission representatives ways to promote and protect the EU’s digital rules and reduce tech dependency on non-EU actors. The debate focuses on the importance of building a secure and autonomous digital economy and of implementing the EU’s digital rules in full. These rules include the Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts, the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Data Act, the Chips Act and the Crypto-assets rules. MEPs call on the Commission to make full use of its regulatory powers, to maintain the highest standards for its citizens and businesses and to step up investment in EU digital infrastructure. Since the EU-US trade agreement was reached over the summer, pressure to defend the EU’s digital rulebook has been rising. The US administration meanwhile alleges US tech companies are being unfairly targeted in Europe. This transcription if the result of an automatic process.

Promoting EU digital rules: protecting European sovereignty: MEPs debate

Opening statements by Marie BJERRE, Danish Minister for European Affairs and Henna VIRKKUNEN, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy. The debate focuses on the building a secure and autonomous digital economy and of implementing the EU’s digital rules in full. These rules include the Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts, the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Data Act, the Chips Act and the Crypto-assets rules. MEPs call on the Commission to make full use of its regulatory powers, to maintain the highest standards for its citizens and businesses and to step up investment in EU digital infrastructure. Since the EU-US trade agreement was reached over the summer, pressure to defend the EU’s digital rulebook has been rising. The US administration meanwhile alleges US tech companies are being unfairly targeted. This transcription if the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Promoting EU digital rules: protecting European sovereignty:Opening statements by Marie BJERRE, Danish Minister for European Affairs and Henna VIRKKUNEN, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Securityand Democracy

MEPs debate on the fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms, in plenary in Strasbourg.

The fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms: MEPs debate

Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, gives an opening statement during the debate on the fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

The fine against TikTok and the need to strengthen the protection of citizens’ rights on social media platforms: opening statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

This infoclip is related to the big tech companies operating in the EU. The European citizens should fully enjoy their right to control over when and how their data is used online, and businesses can freely communicate with their own customers. Recently, some big tech companies have taken away this free choice from their users and now are required to change their behaviour. In April 2025, the European Commission found that Apple breached its obligation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and that Meta breached the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data. Therefore, the Commission has fined Apple and Meta with €500 million and €200 million, respectively. In March 2025 the European Commission has also notified that Google has breached the Digital Markets Act.

Infoclip: Big Tech Companies

This infoclip gives an overview of the tech giants Meta, Amazon, Google,TikTok, LinkedIn and X. In 2025 Meta announced the end of its third party fact-checking program. In 2024 the Commission opened proceedings against TikTok for not having assessed risks linked to election integrity. The Commission also proceeded against X for breaching the DSA. This infoclip shows Meta's exhibition, a woman buying on Amazon, people scrolling on social media and TikTok premises (Source : Tiktok).

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