Meta faces $1 billion fine for violating EU antitrust rules

By Alimat Aliyeva

The European Union is preparing to fine the American technology giant Meta for violating antitrust laws, with the penalty potentially exceeding $1 billion.

According to sources, the European Commission is expected to rule that Meta is in breach of the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to regulate the behavior of major tech platforms and ensure fair competition.

Unnamed sources close to the matter indicated that the fine could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars and may even exceed $1 billion. The EU is expected to finalize its investigation into Meta as early as this week and announce the measures that will be taken against the company. Additionally, EU authorities are set to inform Meta of the steps it must take to ensure compliance with European legislation.

This move comes amid heightened scrutiny of tech giants in the EU, with European regulators also investigating Apple for potential violations of the community's antitrust rules. Reports suggest that Apple may face a fine in the coming week or the next, further intensifying the regulatory pressure on U.S.-based technology firms operating in Europe.

In recent years, the European Commission has handed down several major antitrust decisions and imposed multibillion-dollar fines on leading American digital corporations such as Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. These fines have been issued for various violations of EU competition rules, reflecting growing concerns over the dominance of American firms in Europe’s digital market. Critics argue that these companies, particularly in the tech and online services sectors, exert outsized control over entire industries, limiting competition and consumer choice.

The enforcement of the Digital Markets Act is part of the EU’s broader effort to rein in the power of Big Tech and ensure a more balanced and competitive digital ecosystem. As the investigation into Meta continues, it’s clear that European regulators are taking a firm stance against practices they believe undermine fair competition.