Apple and Meta fined millions for breaching EU law

DMA gatekeepers, size thresholds, and protectionism claims

• Commenters clarify that DMA obligations are triggered by scale, not nationality; current gatekeepers are mostly US firms plus ByteDance and Booking, though Booking’s parent is US-based.
• Some argue the thresholds are “gerrymandered” to spare large European players (e.g., Spotify), while others counter that Spotify lacks the gatekeeping power of YouTube, Google Search, or WhatsApp.
• There’s debate over whether non‑tariff trade barriers are being used de facto against US tech, versus a neutral attempt to curb dominance and enforce competition.

Meta’s “pay or consent” model and privacy law

• Many see Meta’s “pay or accept tracking” option as violating GDPR’s requirement that consent be freely given and not a condition for unnecessary data processing.
• Others note that many newspapers use similar “pay or be tracked” walls and haven’t faced comparable penalties, raising fairness and selective enforcement concerns.
• Several distinguish between ads and tracking: non‑personalized/contextual ads are fine; tying basic access to pervasive profiling is not. Some think regulators should just outlaw targeted ads directly.

Apple App Store, anti‑steering, and alternative distribution

• Strong support for banning Apple’s anti‑steering rules that prevented apps from even telling users about cheaper web sign‑ups (e.g., Netflix).
• The Commission’s preliminary view is that Apple’s alternative app store scheme and “Core Technology Fee” are designed to discourage competition; many call this “malicious compliance.”
• Developers resent the 30% cut and closed distribution; some users insist on a single vetted store, others want true sideloading and independent stores (including FOSS-style repos).
• Comparisons are made to Linux package managers and Steam, which don’t demand a platform tax on all downstream commerce.

Facebook Marketplace and platform dominance

• Marketplace lost its gatekeeper status because EU business usage fell below thresholds; some are surprised given its popularity elsewhere.
• Discussion highlights huge regional variation: in parts of Europe, local classifieds or eBay dominate; in others, Facebook is “the internet” for small businesses and classifieds.

Fines, enforcement, and regulatory philosophy

• Many see the ~€700M total as small relative to profits, but important as a first DMA test, setting legal precedent and enabling larger (up to 10% of global revenue, plus daily) fines for repeat non‑compliance.
• Some portray the EU as over‑regulating and hostile to innovation; others argue US antitrust neglect forced Europe to act, framing the DMA as pro‑competition, not anti‑American.