Europe is intensifying its regulatory crackdown on Big Tech, imposing hefty fines on Alphabet’s Google and Elon Musk’s X while opening a new investigation into Meta, asserting its legal authority in the face of U.S. criticism.
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Following a record €2.95 billion ($3.44 billion) fine on Google three months ago, the European Commission on Friday fined X €120 million for violating EU online content rules. Separately, EU regulators have initiated a probe into Meta, examining its WhatsApp AI features that could block rival platforms.
The U.S. government has criticized the EU’s actions, linking reductions in U.S. steel import tariffs to weaker EU digital rules and directing diplomats to lobby against the bloc’s regulations.
EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera dismissed the criticism, emphasizing the EU’s sovereign right to enforce fair digital market rules. “It is our duty to remind others that we deserve respect. I am in charge of defending well-functioning digital markets in Europe, and this is not subject to any joint conversation,” Ribera said.
Legal experts say U.S. threats are losing influence as European regulators move forward. Daniel Mandrescu, a competition law expert, noted that the investigation into Meta shows “the rule of law is simply not a negotiable matter.”
Rupprecht Podszun, professor at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, said the EU’s new enforcement vigor makes it increasingly difficult to back down. He added that Google’s recent offer to ease access to its online advertising technology and the outcome of the Meta AI probe will test the EU’s regulatory resolve.
A decision on Google’s proposal is expected early next year, while the Meta investigation could result in restrictions on AI features in WhatsApp. The EU’s actions signal its determination to maintain open, competitive, and transparent digital markets, regardless of international pressure.
