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The EU has launched probes into Apple, Alphabet and Meta, in the first use of a landmark new law designed to rein in Big Tech’s market power.
The European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, announced official probes on Monday into whether Apple and Google-owner Alphabet allow developers to “steer” users away from their app stores.
It also said it would investigate whether Facebook-owner Meta gives enough choice to users over the use of personal data for advertising purposes.
The probes fall under the Digital Markets Act, which is designed to tackle the dominance of so-called digital “gatekeepers” and came into effect earlier this month.
If found guilty of non-compliance, companies face hefty fines that could amount to up to 10 per cent of their global turnover.
Thierry Breton, the EU’s commissioner for the internal market, said that despite the measures taken by the tech companies to adapt to the DMA, “we are not convinced that the solutions by Alphabet, Apple and Meta respect their obligations for a fairer and more open digital space for European citizens and businesses”.
The DMA has created a framework of rules designed to force Big Tech companies to make changes to their operations in ways that allow for greater competition in digital markets.
Among other regulatory actions announced on Monday, the Commission said it would investigate whether Alphabet’s search results lead to “self-preferencing” of its own services such the company’s shopping and flights offerings.
Regulators are also looking at whether Apple easily allows users to pick different browsers and search engines.
The moves come a month after the EU announced a €1.8bn fine for preventing music streaming apps such as Spotify from informing users about cheaper deals. Last week the US Department of Justice announced it was suing Apple for allegedly using its power in the smartphone sector to squash competition.
Alphabet and Meta have also regularly been in the crosshairs of regulators in the EU and beyond in recent years.
Brussels hopes to have finalised its probes in one year. The timeline is faster than the many years it has historically taken to deal with antitrust investigations.