The EU is postponing planned penalties against Apple and Meta, apparently due to ongoing trade talks with the US.

The European Commission has unexpectedly announced that it will suspend the fines originally scheduled for April against US technology companies Apple and Meta for the time being. According to Bloomberg, citing EU officials familiar with the proceedings, the decision is directly related to ongoing negotiations between the EU and the US on a comprehensive trade agreement.

DMA violations: Apple and Meta in the EU’s sights

According to Politico Europe, Apple was to be sanctioned because the company continued to restrict alternative payment methods in its App Store despite new requirements under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) – among other things, by not adequately informing developers about ways to circumvent Apple’s payment structure. Meta is also in the spotlight: As Reuters reported on April 16, 2025, the company is said to have made it difficult for users to opt out of linking personal data across different services such as Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.

According to the EU Commission, both companies have taken “insufficient measures” to implement the law since it came into force. The Commission announced back in March that it would “consider initial penalties in the near future.”

Trade interests before competition law?

According to the Financial Times, Brussels’ decision to postpone the penalties is strategic: it does not want to risk diplomatic escalation while talks are underway in Washington on the withdrawal of planned US tariffs on European car and machine exports. A Commission spokesperson told Politico that it remains committed to enforcing the DMA but wants to “take into account the current geopolitical context.”

Reactions: Disappointment among consumer advocates

Data protection activists and civil society groups reacted critically to the decision. According to Euractiv, the NGO BEUC (The European Consumer Organisation) said it was “sending the wrong signal to Big Tech.” NOYB, the data protection initiative led by Max Schrems, also warned that the EU Commission could jeopardize the credibility of the DMA by taking trade issues into consideration.

Conclusion: Political calculation or legal delay?

The suspension of measures against Apple and Meta is more than just a procedural issue – it exemplifies the EU’s balancing act between consistent enforcement of competition law and geopolitical considerations toward the US. The coming weeks should show whether Brussels will maintain pressure on tech companies – or whether the Digital Markets Act will lose its edge.