White House Calls EU Fines on Apple, Meta 'Economic Extortion'

The White House has sharply criticized recent European Union fines levied against Apple and Meta Platforms, condemning the penalties issued under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

According to a Reuters report, the administration described the EU's actions as discriminatory towards American companies. "This novel form of economic extortion will not be tolerated by the United States," a White House spokesperson stated. "Extraterritorial regulations that specifically target and undermine American companies, stifle innovation, and enable censorship will be recognized as barriers to trade and a direct threat to free civil society."

The statement follows the European Commission's decision to fine Apple €500 million for breaching the DMA's anti-steering obligations. The Commission found Apple's App Store rules unlawfully restricted developers from informing users about alternative purchasing options outside the store. This, the EC argued, limited consumer ability to find potentially cheaper offers.


As part of that ruling, Apple was ordered to remove the prohibitive technical and commercial barriers and refrain from similar practices. Meta Platforms was also fined €200 million concerning its previous "Consent or Pay" model, which the EC determined didn't offer users a genuine choice regarding data use as required by the DMA.

These penalties represent the first enforcement actions taken under the DMA framework. Both Apple and Meta have previously expressed disagreement with the Commission's findings and indicated plans to appeal. Apple specifically stated it had made significant efforts to comply and accused the Commission of unfairly targeting the company. Meta characterized the EU's actions as attempts to handicap successful American businesses.

Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more updates.