Key Highlights
- The European Union intensified its scrutiny of major tech companies, launching investigations and imposing penalties under the Digital Markets Act.
- The EU opened a probe into Meta’s AI-powered features on WhatsApp, accusing it of impeding rival developers from accessing users.
- The DMA designation subjects six tech giants to strict regulations aimed at preventing them from using their scale to suppress smaller rivals.
- Regulators fined Apple and Meta €500 million and €200 million respectively for violations under the new digital rules.
EU Intensifies Scrutiny of Big Tech: A Shift in Regulatory Posture
In a year marked by escalating regulatory pressure, the European Union (EU) has intensified its crackdown on major technology companies. This move marks a significant shift in the bloc’s approach to digital market regulation, with Brussels accelerating efforts to rein in what it perceives as entrenched market power and opaque algorithms that disadvantage users, competitors, and publishers.
Meta Faces Antitrust Probe Over WhatsApp AI Rollout
On Thursday, the European Commission confirmed the opening of a probe into Meta following concerns that the company’s rollout of AI-powered features on WhatsApp may distort competition. According to the EU regulator, Meta’s policies could impede rival AI developers from reaching users through WhatsApp while ensuring that Meta’s own AI assistant remains accessible.
“As a result of the new policy, competing AI providers may be blocked from reaching their customers,” the Commission stated, warning that the company’s design choices may also limit user choice on messaging platforms used by more than 2 billion people worldwide.
Meta dismissed the allegations as unfounded, arguing that third-party AI tools place operational demands on its systems. “The emergence of AI chatbots on our Business API puts a strain on our systems that they were not designed to support,” a spokesperson said, adding that the company is cooperating with the inquiry.
Apple and Meta Face Major Fines
In April 2025, the EU ordered significant fines against tech giants. Apple was fined €500 million for restrictions in its App Store policies, while Meta received a €200 million penalty for its data-consent framework. These actions followed a hefty €2.4 billion fine against Google last year for anticompetitive behavior in the advertising technology market.
“We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity,” President Donald Trump threatened, accusing Brussels of targeting US tech companies.
The DMA’s Impact on Big Tech
Last year, Brussels formally designated six companies as “gatekeepers” under the Digital Markets Act (DMA): Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and ByteDance. The designation subjects these firms to some of the strictest technology regulations in the world, aimed at preventing dominant platform companies from using their scale to squeeze out smaller rivals.
The DMA has the potential to significantly transform how digital platforms operate within the European Union, signaling a new era of regulatory oversight for tech giants.
Expanding Investigations Across Tech Sectors
Beyond social platforms, the EU has widened its enforcement to cloud computing. In November 2025, the Commission began investigating whether Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure should be classified as gatekeepers and whether the DMA can adequately address competition concerns in the cloud market dominated by these two firms.
Simultaneously, Brussels opened a probe into Google’s search ranking practices amid concerns that publishers hosting third-party commercial content could be unfairly penalized. Regulators fear this policy could significantly cut revenues for news outlets at a time when the media sector is under severe financial strain.
“We will investigate to ensure that news publishers are not losing out on important revenues,” competition commissioner Teresa Ribera said, emphasizing that compliance with the DMA is non-negotiable.
A Complex and Evolving Regulatory Landscape
The increasing volume of enforcement has stirred political tensions. Following a €2.95 billion penalty against Google in September 2025 for anticompetitive behavior in the advertising technology market, President Donald Trump threatened to launch a trade investigation.
“We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The DMA aims to balance innovation and fair competition while ensuring that digital markets remain open and contestable for all players. However, the ongoing investigations and initial responses from gatekeepers suggest that achieving this balance will be a complex and evolving process.
As the European Union continues its efforts to regulate Big Tech, it remains to be seen how these changes will shape the future of digital markets in Europe and beyond.
