European regulators crack down on Big Tech

(Reuters) - European regulators have launched a series of investigations into Big Tech in recent years.

Here are some of the actions taken:

The European Commission hit Alphabet's Google with a 2.95-billion-euro ($3.45 billion) antitrust fine on September 5 for anti-competitive practices in its lucrative adtech business.

In September last year, Google won its challenge against a 1.49-billion-euro antitrust fine previously imposed for hindering rivals in online search advertising.

A week earlier, Google lost its fight against a 2.42-billion-euro fine by EU antitrust regulators years before for using its own price comparison shopping service to gain an unfair advantage over smaller European rivals.

Britain's antitrust regulator in September last year provisionally found Google had abused its dominant position in digital advertising to restrict competition. A month earlier, it started probes into its parent Alphabet and Amazon's collaboration with AI startup Anthropic.

France's competition watchdog said in March 2024 it fined Google 250 million euros ($291.55 million) for breaches linked to EU intellectual property rules in its relationship with media publishers.

A complaint to EU antitrust regulators, shared with Reuters ahead of its publication, by two civil rights groups over the terms and conditions of its App Store and devices hit the Cupertino firm in October 2025.

In the same month, Britain's Competition and Markets Authority designated Apple and Google as having "strategic market status", giving it the power to demand specific changes to boost competition.

Apple lost an appeal in March against a regulatory assessment that opens it up to stricter controls in Germany, following years of debate over its market position.

In September 2024, Apple lost the fight against an order by EU competition regulators to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes to Ireland, as part of a larger crackdown against sweetheart deals between multinationals and EU countries.

But the crisis has driven this couple to rethink their way of survival.

Regulators said in July 2024 that Apple had agreed to open its tap-and-go mobile payments system to rivals to settle an EU antitrust probe.

Brussels fined Apple 1.84 billion euros in March 2024 for thwarting competition from music streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store.

The Commission fined Meta 797.72 million euros in November 2024 for abusive practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace.

The EC charged Meta in July 2024 for failing to comply with the DMA in its new pay or consent advertising model.

The Commission in June 2024 charged Microsoft with illegally bundling its chat and video app Teams with its Office product.

TIKTOK

The European Commission said in October that the Chinese-owned social media app and Meta breached their obligation to grant researchers adequate access to public data under the Digital Services Act (DSA) according to preliminary findings.