The White House issued a strong condemnation on Wednesday (April 24) regarding the fines levied by the European Union (EU) against Apple and Facebook-parent company Meta, labeling them a “novel form of economic extortion”.
“This novel form of economic extortion will not be tolerated by the United States,” a spokesperson for the White House stated.
Why this matters
The EU's antitrust regulators imposed fines of 500 million euros ($570 million) on Apple and 200 million ($228 million) euros on Meta. These sanctions represent the first enforcement actions under the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), legislation aimed at curbing the market power of major technology companies.
These fines are widely viewed as a development that could fuel existing tensions between the EU and the US, particularly given President Donald Trump's past threats to impose tariffs on nations that penalise American firms.
“Extraterritorial regulations that specifically target and undermine American companies, stifle innovation, and enable censorship will be recognised as barriers to trade and a direct threat to free civil society,” the White House spokesperson added.
The White House previously characterised the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as discriminatory. The EU's legislative action and subsequent fines follow a year-long investigation by the European Commission, the EU's executive body, into the compliance of these companies with the DMA, which seeks to facilitate the entry of smaller competitors into markets dominated by the largest players.
“This novel form of economic extortion will not be tolerated by the United States,” a spokesperson for the White House stated.
Why this matters
The EU's antitrust regulators imposed fines of 500 million euros ($570 million) on Apple and 200 million ($228 million) euros on Meta. These sanctions represent the first enforcement actions under the landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA), legislation aimed at curbing the market power of major technology companies.
These fines are widely viewed as a development that could fuel existing tensions between the EU and the US, particularly given President Donald Trump's past threats to impose tariffs on nations that penalise American firms.
“Extraterritorial regulations that specifically target and undermine American companies, stifle innovation, and enable censorship will be recognised as barriers to trade and a direct threat to free civil society,” the White House spokesperson added.
The White House previously characterised the Digital Markets Act (DMA) as discriminatory. The EU's legislative action and subsequent fines follow a year-long investigation by the European Commission, the EU's executive body, into the compliance of these companies with the DMA, which seeks to facilitate the entry of smaller competitors into markets dominated by the largest players.
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