Factbox-Major European regulatory probes into Big Tech
Overview of Key European Regulatory Investigations
July 23 (Reuters) - European regulators have launched a series of antitrust, privacy and online-safety investigations into major technology companies in recent years. Below are some of the most significant cases:
Antitrust Fines and Court Rulings
The European Commission said on July 23 it fined Google a total of 890 million euros ($1 billion) for breaching European Union rules aimed at curbing the power of Big Tech.
Europe's top court this month largely upheld EU findings that Google used Android to shut out rivals, maintaining a 4.1 billion euro antitrust penalty.
AI and Content Usage Investigations
The Commission is also investigating whether Google's use of publishers' content and YouTube material for artificial intelligence purposes breaches competition rules.
Apple
DMA Fines and Gatekeeper Status
The European Commission fined Apple 500 million euros in 2025 under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Apple this month lost a court challenge against EU rules designating its App Store and iOS operating system as "gatekeepers" subject to special competition obligations.
Meta Platforms
Marketplace Fines
Meta Platforms was fined nearly 800 million euros in 2024 over practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace.
DMA and DSA Scrutiny
Advertising Model Concerns
EU regulators have also scrutinised Meta under the DMA and Digital Services Act (DSA), including concerns over its "pay or consent" advertising model and protections for children on Facebook and Instagram.
Amazon.com
Marketplace Practices and Legal Challenges
Amazon.com has faced regulatory scrutiny over practices on its online marketplace, while the EU's General Court rejected its challenge against obligations imposed under the DSA.
Microsoft
Remedies and Antitrust Avoidance
Microsoft avoided a potentially large EU antitrust fine after offering remedies related to the bundling of Teams with its Office software suite.
TikTok and X
DSA Investigations
TikTok and X are among the biggest targets of the EU's Digital Services Act.
TikTok: Online Safety and Advertising Transparency
Regulators have investigated TikTok over online-safety and advertising-transparency concerns, while X has faced scrutiny over content moderation, transparency and its Grok artificial intelligence chatbot.
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(Compiled by Paolo Laudani, Alessandro Parodi, Charlotte Bawol, Olivier Cherfan, Enrico Sciacovelli, Olga Sawczuk and Danny Callaghan in Gdansk. Editing by Alexander Smith, Milla Nissi-Prussak and Matt Scuffham)
