The European Union is set to hit Mark Zuckerberg with a fine that can extend to $ 1 billion or more allegedly violating its strict antitrust rules, the post has learned – creating a possible confrontation with President Trump, who has compared the EU penalties with “extension overseas”.
The European Commission, EU Antitrust Supervisor, is expected to conclude that Meta is not in line with the act of digital markets, sources close to the situation told the post on Monday.
The landmark law came into force in 2023 and implements difficult rules of competition for meta and six other companies considered Internet goalkeepers.
The fine is expected to be hundreds of millions of dollars and potentially more than $ 1 billion, sources said.
The EU probe at the parent company on Facebook and Instagram is expected to be completed this week, with a notice of the action of implementing the commission to follow immediately, added the interiors.
EU officials are also expected to hit Meta with a “holiday and depressing” notice, essentially informing the company about what it must change to enter into compliance, according to sources.
Representatives for Meta and the European Commission did not immediately return the requests for comment.
Apple is also in EU chairs and a fine against the iPhone maker can be announced this week or next week, sources said.
Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Apple and Meta are likely to face “modest fine” for DMA violations. EU antitrust chief Theresa Ribera previously said that a decision on implementation actions for both companies was coming in March.
In addition to Meta, companies that are considered “DMA door” include Google Parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, Tiktok Parent by -bytans and Microsoft. EU regulators and other proponents say the law prevents technology giants from suppressing the smallest rivals through anti -ompetitive behavior.
By law, large technology companies can be fined up to 10% of their global income. Fines can increase up to 20% of global income for repeated offenses.
Last July, the EU issued preliminary charges by accusing Meta of violating DMA by forcing customers in a “Pay or consent” model for advertising on Instagram and Facebook.
Officials focused on the drawback of a reconciliation service in 2023 in which users could pay the $ 14 per month equivalent for an apps without advertising for meta using their personal data for target advertising.
“This binary choice forces users to accept the combination of their personal data and fails to provide them with a less personalized but equivalent version of Meta’s social networks,” the European Commission said in a statement at the time.
In a report of public compliance published earlier this month, Meta withdrew that “has continued to receive additional requirements that go beyond what is written in law” despite efforts to adhere to DMA rules.
In June 2024, Apple became the first company to be accused of violating DMA to prevent rival app developers to easily lead customers to services outside its app store. In November, reports showed that Apple was likely to be fined.
The EU took further action last week – warning Apple that it should open its own iPhone operating system for app developers. He also told Google to the alphabet that he can face a fine for handling his own “more favorable” home services than rivals within his search results.
In addition to attracting sharp criticism from the Big Tech, the law has increasingly attracted Trump’s anger, which has accused Europe of lifting the US and pledged to impose vengeful fees to level the playing field.
Trump issued a memorandum last month warning that his administration “will take into account responsible actions such as fees to combat digital service taxes (DST), penalties, practices and policies that foreign governments impose US companies.”
“President Trump will not allow foreign governments to adapt the US tax base for their benefit,” the White House said at the time.
Separately, the head of the House Judicial Committee Jim Jordan requested a conference from EU officials how the bloc plans to implement the act of digital markets. Jordan noted that six of the seven “goalkeepers” subject to law are owned by America.
“These heavy penalties seem to have two goals: to force businesses to pursue European standards around the world, and as a European tax for US companies,” Jordan said in a letter.
Zuckerberg, who has extinguished Trump since his election victory, has said EU fines aimed at major technology enterprises are “almost like a fee” and have become “kind of as a broad EU policy on how they want to deal with American technology”.
During a Podcast appearance “The Joe Rogan Experience” in January, Zuckerberg argued that Trump should fight again against fines.
“I think it’s a strategic advantage for the United States that we have many strongest companies in the world, and I think it should be part of the American strategy that goes ahead to defend this,” Zuckerberg said.
The EU and Meta are engaged in a long beef on data intimacy-including a record fine of $ 1.3 billion in 2023 for the unjust transfer of European users’ data to the US
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