'European Commission wants to sue Apple and Meta for violating DMA rules'

The European Commission plans to sue Meta and Apple for not complying with the rules of the Digital Markets Act. Reuters writes this based on insiders. It would be the first time that the EC has sued companies for this reason.

The European Commission wants to announce the preliminary results of the investigation into Meta and Apple before the summer recess in August, writes Reuters based on three sources. This reportedly does not happen simultaneously; Apple would be sued first, followed by Meta. The companies will then have a few more months to address the EC's concerns by adjusting their policy.

According to Reuters, the final decision should be made around November. If it is found that they are still not complying with the rules, the Commission can fine the companies 10 percent of global annual turnover or 20 percent if the violation continues.

The Financial Times also writes based on its own sources that Apple is being sued by the EC, although Meta is not mentioned by the newspaper. According to both news media, Apple violates the DMA rules because developers cannot freely communicate in their apps about offers outside the App Store. This is currently only allowed if they pay the tech giant for it.

According to Reuters, the complaint against Meta revolves around the choice that the company has been presenting to European users on Facebook and Instagram since last year. They must choose between the free version of the social media platforms with personalized advertisements or a paid subscription.

In March, the Commission announced that it was investigating these companies because they may not comply with the Digital Markets Act. In addition to the points mentioned, Apple is being investigated on a number of other aspects. This also examines whether the company's apps can be removed easily enough and whether Apple prevents users from making a choice other than Safari with the design of the browser selection screen. In addition to Apple and Meta, the EC also opened an investigation into Google. It is unclear whether that company will remain unaffected.