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Apple, Meta Face Thursday Deadline To Comply With DMA or Be Hit With Fines

By  |  June 24, 2025
Apple, Meta Face Thursday Deadline To Comply With DMA or Be Hit With Fines

With the clock ticking down to the deadline for Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms to remedy their non-compliance with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act or face fines, Apple is locked in last-minute negotiations with Brussels over changes to its App Store, the Financial Times reports. Apple was assessed a €500 million ($578 million) penalty and Meta a €200 million ($231 million) penance in April, but were each given 60-days to fix the problems found before the fines would be applied. That grace period expires on Thursday.

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    Per the FT, Apple has offered concessions on its so-called steering provision that prevents or limits users from paying for app purchases outside of Apple’s own payment system. Third-party app developers complain the policy forces them to raise their prices to account for the 30% commission Apple takes on all purchases through the App Store, forcing users to pay more than they would if developers could sell directly.

    The Commission confirmed it is engaging with Apple “to discuss effective compliance” but did not indicate whether it expects to reach a deal by the deadline, according to the report.

    People involved in the negotiations told the FT the discussions also have touched on Apple’s “Core Technology Fee,” which requires developers to pay for each annual install once an app has reached 1 million downloads.

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    Meta was dinged over its “consent-or-pay” policy that forces Facebook users to consent to having their data used for targeted advertising or pay for an ad-free experience. Meta made changes to its free, personalized-ad service in November 2024 in response to the European Commission’s initial findings. In April the Commission said it would take 60 days to evaluate whether those changes are sufficient to avoid a fine.

    Related: Apple Explores Potential Acquisition of AI Startup Perplexity AI

    Under the penalties announced in February, the levies on Apple and Meta will increase over time, to as much as 5% of their average daily turnover, unless and until their policies are brought into compliance with the DMA.

    The Thursday deadline falls as President Trump is scheduled to be in Europe this week to attend the NATO Summit in The Hague. The EU’s digital rules have been a source of tension with the U.S. administration, which views them as overly restrictive on U.S. technology companies.

    The U.S. Trade Representative labeled the regulations a barrier to U.S. exports in a report issued in April.

    The Thursday deadline also comes less than two weeks before the Trump-imposed July 9th deadline for the EU to reach a new trade agreement with the U.S. or face sweeping 50% tariffs on EU exports. The tariffs were originally slated to take effect on June 1, but Trump extended the deadline in late May.

    The two sides have been in discussions over a new deal, but there have been few reports of significant progress toward an agreement.