EU re-evaluates technology investigations into Apple, Google and Meta

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Brussels is reassessing investigations into tech giants such as Apple, Meta and Google, while U.S. groups urge President-elect Donald Trump to intervene in what they say is overzealous EU enforcement.

The review, which will cover all cases launched under EU digital market regulations since March last year, could lead the European Commission to scale back or change the scope of its investigation, according to two officials familiar with the move.

It comes as the Brussels institution begins a new five-year term under increasing pressure to handle the landmark case and as Trump prepares to return to the White House next week.

“It's going to be a whole new ball game with these tech oligarchs being so close to Trump and using that to put pressure on us,” said a senior EU diplomat briefed on the review. “There are a lot of things up in the air right now. ”

Officials said all decisions and possible fines are on hold while the review is completed, but technical work on the case will continue.

While some of the investigations under review are in their early stages, others are more in-depth. The charges were expected last year in an investigation into Google's alleged favoritism in its app store.

Two other EU officials said Brussels regulators were now waiting for political direction to make final decisions on the Google, Apple and Meta cases.

The review comes as European Union lawmakers called on the commission to remain calm in response to U.S. pressure, while Silicon Valley executives hailed Trump's return as the beginning of an era of looser tech regulations.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday called on the president-elect to stop Brussels from fining U.S. technology companies, complaining that EU regulators have forced them to pay “more than $30 billion” in fines over the past 20 years.

Zuckerberg, who recently announced plans to abolish fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram — which could violate EU rules — said he believed the incoming Trump administration wanted to defend U.S. interests abroad.

One official said the impact of Trump's presidency was a factor in the review but insisted Trump's victory did not trigger a review.

The commission said it “remains fully committed to the effective enforcement” of its rules. An EU spokesman said: “There is no delay in the final hearing of open breach cases, especially not due to any political considerations.”

The spokesman added that the ongoing case was “not ready on a technical level” and argued that such an investigation would take time due to its complexity, novelty and “the need to ensure that the Commission's decisions are legally sound”.

Before Trump's victory, EU regulators had been taking aggressive action against the world's largest technology groups, passing a series of reforms aimed at opening up markets and setting a regulatory framework for big tech companies.

Brussels launched an investigation into Apple, Google and Meta in March last year under the Digital Markets Law, which aims to curb market abuse on large platforms.

The commission is also under pressure to use the full powers of the Digital Services Act, a set of rules designed to regulate online content, to curb the growing influence of tech billionaire Elon Musk in European affairs .

In addition to a similar investigation into Google parent Alphabet, the committee has also been examining whether Apple favors its own App Store and Facebook parent Meta's use of personal data for advertising.

Brussels is also consulting its rivals over Apple's proposal to make its iOS operating system compatible with connected devices.

Denmark's Margrethe Vestager and France's Thierry Breton resigned from the committee in November after taking a tough stance against U.S. technology companies.

“Priorities may change,” one person said. “(The digital rules) come from previous committees.”

EU lawmakers called on regulators to remain firm. MEP Stephanie Jan-Coutin, who helped draft the tech rules, said EU investigations cannot be sacrificed to avoid diplomatic consequences.

In a letter to committee chair Ursula von der Leyen, Yon-Courtin said the DMA “cannot be held hostage”.

She added: “Please assure me that your cabinet and you personally have full support for the effective implementation of the DMA without further delay.”