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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityTechnologyEU opens investigations into Apple, Meta and GooglePublished35 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AlamyBy Tom GerkenTechnology reporterThe EU has announced investigations into some of the biggest tech firms in the world over uncompetitive practices.Alphabet, which owns Google, Meta, and Apple are all being looked into for potential breaches of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) introduced in 2022.If they are found to have broken the rules, the firms can face huge fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover.EU antitrust boss Margrethe Vestager and industry head Thierry Breton announced the investigations on Monday.It comes three weeks after the EU fined Apple €1.8bn (£1.5bn) for breaking competition laws over music streaming.Meanwhile, the United States accused Apple of monopolising the smartphone market ina landmark lawsuit against the tech giant introduced last week.In its investigation announced today, the EU says it believes Apple and Alphabet are limiting anti-steering – in other words, making it difficult for apps to tell users about ways to pay less for their services outside of using app stores’ own payment methods.It is also looking into whether Meta has breached its rules through asking people to pay to avoid their data being used for adverts.The move has “forced millions of users across Europe into a binary choice: pay or consent,” said Mr Breton.According to Ms Vestager, the investigation will take around 12 months to complete.”We suspect that the suggested solutions put forward by the three companies do not fully comply with the DMA,” she said. “We will now investigate the companies’ compliance with the DMA, to ensure open and contestable digital markets in Europe.”Related TopicsGoogleEuropean CommissionMetaAppleEuropean UnionMore on this storyApple fined €1.8bn for breaking streaming rulesPublished4 MarchUS accuses Apple of monopolising smartphone marketPublished3 days agoTop StoriesFour in court as Moscow attack death toll nears 140Published34 minutes agoEU opens investigations into Apple, Meta and GooglePublished35 minutes agoDeadline in Trump’s $464m fraud case hours awayPublished42 minutes agoFeaturesOn board HMS Diamond as it faces Houthi missilesWhat we know about Moscow concert hall attackAnalysis: As Russia mourns, how will Putin react?Are Hong Kong’s days as a global business hub over?I ran ‘toughest race’ to inspire women worldwideUkrainian soldiers’ frontline mission captured in BBC documentary. VideoUkrainian soldiers’ frontline mission captured in BBC documentaryTrolling gets worse when my videos go viralIndians celebrate Holi – the festival of colours’It’s on another level, completely alien in darts’ – the rapid rise of Luke LittlerAttributionSportElsewhere on the BBCBorn to survive, built to thrive…Sir David Attenborough follows the journeys of our closest relatives in the animal kingdomAttributioniPlayerCan you spot the AI images from the real ones?Challenge your detection skills with this deceptive quizAttributionBitesizeThe unheard Banksy interview…In this bonus episode, James Peak tracks down the recording from 2003AttributionSoundsFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Four in court as Moscow attack death toll nears 1402Olivia Colman: I’d be paid more if I was Oliver3Jewish settlers set their sights on Gaza beachfront4EU opens investigations into Apple, Meta and Google5Say one thing, do another? The government’s record net migration rise6Sheridan Smith: Strangers hugged me in the street7Rare white magpie spotted in ‘special’ moment8Deadline in Trump’s $464m fraud case hours away9Scientists to hunt mysterious ‘ghost’ particles10Electric headset helps me ‘feel I have hope again’
[ad_1] If they are found to have broken the rules, the firms could be fined up to 10% of their annual turnover.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityTechnologyApple fined €1.8bn by EU for breaking streaming rulesPublished10 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Shiona McCallumTechnology reporterApple has been fined €1.8bn (£1.5bn) by the EU for breaking competition laws over music streaming.The firm had prevented streaming services from informing users of payment options outside the Apple app store, the European Commission said.Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said Apple abused its dominant position in the market for a decade.She ordered the US tech giant to remove all the restrictions. Apple has said it will appeal against the decision.The European Commission’s decision was triggered by a complaint by Swedish music streaming service Spotify, which was unhappy about the restriction and Apple’s 30% fee..Ms Vestager said Apple had restricted “developers from informing consumers about alternative, cheaper music services available outside of the Apple ecosystem”. “This is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” she said.However, Apple said it would appeal, adding there was no evidence consumers had been harmed. “The decision was reached despite the Commission’s failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast,” the company said in a statement.”The primary advocate for this decision, and the biggest beneficiary, is Spotify, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden.”Spotify has the largest music streaming app in the world, and has met with the EC [European Commission] more than 65 times during this investigation,” it said.Spotify attacks Apple’s ‘outrageous’ 27% commissionSpotify called the fine handed out to Apple “an important moment” and said it sent “a powerful message” that “no company, not even a monopoly like Apple, can wield power abusively to control how other companies interact with their customers”.Apple said the Swedish company pays no commission to them as it sells its subscriptions on its website and not on the app store. Spotify had argued that the restrictions benefit Apple’s rival music streaming service, Apple Music.Digital Markets Act In January, Apple announced plans to allow EU customers to download apps outside of their own app store, as the introduction of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) drew closer. The aim of the European Union’s DMA is to help competition in the technology sector and to try to break down the stronghold the likes of Apple and Google have on the market. The tech companies were given six months from August last year to comply with a full list of requirements under the new legislation, or face a fine of up to 10% of their annual turnover. The firms have until later this week to comply with a raft of changes announced since the start of the year, as Apple, Meta and TikTok pursue challenges to aspects of the law.Last week, Spotify and 33 other companies operating across a wide range of digital sectors wrote to the European Commission with a renewed attack on Apple’s “lack of compliance” with the DMA. “Apple’s new terms not only disregard both the spirit and letter of the law, but if left unchanged, make a mockery of the DMA and the considerable efforts by the European Commission and EU institutions to make digital markets competitive,” it said. 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