European Commission reassessing probes into Apple, Google and Meta

The European Commission is reevaluating its investigations against several tech companies, including Apple, Google and Meta.

All three companies are being investigated by the European Commission for possibly violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The DMA was drafted to protect European consumers from powerful tech companies that abuse their dominant market position, offer them greater choice, and create a level-playing field for newcomers. The DMA went into effect in November 2022 and became applicable in May 2023.

In July 2024, the Commission announced it was ready to charge Meta over its ‘pay or okay’ business model.

In September, the European Commission launched two so-called ‘specification proceedings’ against Apple to make changes to its operating systems in order to comply with its interoperability obligations that are dictated in the DMA.

In addition, the Commission is preparing to draw up a formal complaint against Google for the way the company displays its competitors’ products in search services like Google Flights and Google Hotels.

According to the Financial Times, the tech companies have urged president-elect Donald Trump to convince the European Commission to waive their regulatory scrutiny against them.

A reassessment could result in a narrowing or recalibrating of the Commission’s ongoing investigations. Potential penalties are therefore currently suspended. However, officials have confirmed that the technical inquiries will continue.

According to a senior EU diplomat, the re-election of Trump has emboldened the US tech companies into asking the president-elect to leverage his influence to revise the outcome of the investigations.

“The dynamics are shifting dramatically with these tech magnates leveraging their proximity to Trump to influence proceedings. Everything hangs in a delicate balance at the moment,” he told the Financial Times.

In the meantime, regulators are awaiting what political direction to take against Apple, Google and Meta. The companies and the European Commission weren’t directly available for comment.