The European Union has responded to warnings from the United States president and openly challenged Google and Apple over possible breaches of the Digital Markets Act. The approach carries the prospect of multi million euro fines. Brussels accuses Google of favoring its own services within its vast search empire and of blocking app developers from directing consumers to offers outside the Google Play store. The EU also calls on Apple to build bridges between the iPhone operating system and Android to meet antitrust standards. The action against American tech giants comes amid ongoing trade tensions and Trump’s criticisms of EU regulation and taxes on foreign firms.
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The case against Google opens a window for Alphabet to submit written defenses, but if the alleged breaches are confirmed during the probe the Commission could impose a fine of up to ten percent of the company’s annual turnover.
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EU Rules
The competition commissioner explains that sending the accusations seeks to ensure that two widely used services in Europe, Google Search and Android devices, align with the union’s rules. The preliminary inquiry points to the likelihood that the US company favors its own products in search results, which means providers and rivals do not receive a fair ranking.
Between Platforms
The second set of accusations asserts that the services treat it as a barrier when Android users are not informed or steered toward cheaper offers from developers not on Google Play. The regulator cites Google Shopping and the hotel and flight search pages as examples where the search engine appears to benefit from its dominant position since more than ninety percent of internet queries in the EU flow through that platform.
Legally Binding Guidelines
In the case of Apple, the Commission provides a set of guidelines to ensure compliance with the European interoperability framework. There is no formal compliance assessment yet, but these guidelines carry legal weight for the tech giant. Brussels views interoperability as enabling deeper and more fluid integration of third party products with the Apple ecosystem, opening new opportunities for developers and services while expanding consumer choice across Europe.
Connectivity Features
The changes should apply to nine iOS connectivity features found mainly on smartphones, headphones, or televisions so other brands gain easier access to iPhone interactions such as on screen notifications, faster data transfers, and simpler device pairing. The regulator demands automatic WiFi and Bluetooth connections to be more seamless and reliable.
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Technical Documentation
Moreover, Brussels expects changes to improve the transparency and efficiency of the process that Apple applies to third parties seeking interoperability with iPhone and iPad features, including easier access to technical documentation on functions and updates.
Fines
In recent years Google, based in Mountain View, California, has faced growing EU scrutiny over its search business. Last year the company lost a legal appeal to overturn a record fine of about 2.4 billion euros for abusing monopoly power to favor its own shopping services. Apple had previously warned about Brussels efforts to open iPhone and iPad operating systems to rivals, accusing its competitor Meta Platforms Inc. of attempting to access sensitive features in a move that raised concerns about user privacy and safety.