Latest news with #ThomasRegnier
Euractiv
16 hours ago
- Business
- Euractiv
Meta will only introduce limited changes to its ad model under ongoing DMA probe
On Friday the Commission said Meta will introduce only limited changes to the pay or consent advertising model it rolled out in November 2024, after it was slapped with a €200 million Digital Markets Act (DMA) fine in April. The EU's executive has been investigating Meta's switch to offering users a choice between paying the company to access ad-free versions of Facebook/Instagram or agreeing to be tracked for ads. The Commission is probing this issue because the DMA requires gatekeepers like Meta to obtain affirmative consent to such tracking. The deadline for Meta to comply with the Commission's DMA decision elapsed yesterday. However Commission spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, could not confirm whether changes Meta made to the ad model last year are sufficient to comply with the April decision in which Meta was slapped with its first DMA sanction. He added that the Commission will consider its next steps - reiterating that Meta risks daily fines from 27 June if it continues to be non-compliant. On Friday Meta told Euractiv it recently made changes to the wording and design flow that people see when being asked to choose how to access its apps. But did not provide further detail. Pay or see less personalised ads The EU's DMA investigation on Meta began back in March 2024, but in November 2024 Meta tweaked its pay or consent offer - saying users would now be able to choose between paying it a fee to access ad-free versions of its apps or gaining free access to an ad-supported version in which the ads would use less personal data for targeting. At the same time, it also reduced the fee for the ad-free option -- dropping the charge by 40%. This brought the price of monthly subscriptions for the no-ad versions of Facebook and Instagram down to €7.99 each per month. In April the Commission decided that the original version of Meta's pay or consent model, which offered a more expensive, binary choice to users, did not comply with the DMA. On Friday a Meta spokesperson accused the Commission of moving the goalposts on compliance, claiming the EU is unfairly singling out its business model for sanction. "The European Commission continues to discriminate against an American company's business model," they said. " A user choice between a subscription for a no-ads service or a free ad-supported service remains a legitimate business model for every company in Europe - except Meta," the spokesperson added. Meta's spokesperson also claimed the company has " engaged constructively with the European Commission and introduced extensive changes to address [the Commission's] ever-changing feedback". (nl)
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Facing EU deadline, Apple announces App Store changes
Brussels: Apple announced changes to its App Store payment rules in Europe as it hit a Thursday deadline to address accusations of breaking EU digital competition rules -- or face steep new daily fines. The European Commission in April slapped Apple with a fine of 500 million euros ($586 million) after concluding it prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals in violation of the bloc's rules. The EU warned Apple it had 60 days -- until Thursday -- to make changes to comply with the rules or face additional "periodic penalty payments", which it believed could be more than 50 million euros daily. Apple has changed the rules on the App Store effective Thursday, allowing developers to offer different payment options directly to consumers within their apps, arguing that the changes address the EU's concerns. Apple has paid the 500-million-euro fine but still plans to appeal the penalty on July 7 -- and it hit out on Thursday at the extent of the changes sought by Brussels. "The European Commission is requiring Apple to make a series of additional changes to the App Store. We disagree with this outcome and plan to appeal," Apple said. EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the commission took note of Apple's announcement "and will now assess these new business terms" to see if they are compliant with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). "As part of this assessment the commission considers it particularly important to obtain the views of market operators and interested third parties before deciding on next steps," Regnier added. Apple has frequently hit out at the DMA antitrust rules, complaining it has no choice but to make the changes under threat of large fines. The EU reinforced its legal weaponry in recent years with major twin laws, the Digital Services Act and the DMA, which have provoked the ire of President Donald Trump. The US leader has slammed the EU's digital laws and taxes as "non-tariff barriers" to trade and many tech CEOs have aligned with his administration. The EU and the United States are currently locked in negotiations to avoid Trump's sweeping tariffs on European goods but Brussels has insisted that the digital rules are a red line for the 27-country bloc.
Japan Today
a day ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Facing EU deadline, Apple announces App Store changes
Apple announced changes to its App Store payment rules in Europe as it hit a Thursday deadline to address accusations of breaking EU digital competition rules -- or face steep new daily fines. The European Commission in April slapped Apple with a fine of 500 million euros ($586 million) after concluding it prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals in violation of the bloc's rules. The EU warned Apple it had 60 days -- until Thursday -- to make changes to comply with the rules or face additional "periodic penalty payments", which it believed could be more than 50 million euros daily. Apple has changed the rules on the App Store effective Thursday, allowing developers to offer different payment options directly to consumers within their apps, arguing that the changes address the EU's concerns. Apple has paid the 500-million-euro fine but still plans to appeal the penalty on July 7 -- and it hit out on Thursday at the extent of the changes sought by Brussels. "The European Commission is requiring Apple to make a series of additional changes to the App Store. We disagree with this outcome and plan to appeal," Apple said. EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the commission took note of Apple's announcement "and will now assess these new business terms" to see if they are compliant with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). "As part of this assessment the commission considers it particularly important to obtain the views of market operators and interested third parties before deciding on next steps," Regnier added. Apple has frequently hit out at the DMA antitrust rules, complaining it has no choice but to make the changes under threat of large fines. The EU reinforced its legal weaponry in recent years with major twin laws, the Digital Services Act and the DMA, which have provoked the ire of President Donald Trump. The U.S. leader has slammed the EU's digital laws and taxes as "non-tariff barriers" to trade and many tech CEOs have aligned with his administration. The EU and the United States are currently locked in negotiations to avoid Trump's sweeping tariffs on European goods but Brussels has insisted that the digital rules are a red line for the 27-country bloc. © 2025 AFP
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Facing EU deadline, Apple announces App Store changes - Tech
Apple announced changes to its App Store payment rules in Europe as it hit a Thursday deadline to address accusations of breaking EU digital competition rules, or face steep new daily fines. The European Commission in April slapped Apple with a fine of 500 million euros ($586 million) after concluding it prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals in violation of the bloc's rules. The EU warned Apple it had 60 days, until Thursday, to make changes to comply with the rules or face additional "periodic penalty payments", which it believed could be more than 50 million euros daily. Apple has changed the rules on the App Store effective Thursday, allowing developers to offer different payment options directly to consumers within their apps, arguing that the changes address the EU's concerns. Apple has paid the 500-million-euro fine but still plans to appeal the penalty on July 7, and it hit out on Thursday at the extent of the changes sought by Brussels. "The European Commission is requiring Apple to make a series of additional changes to the App Store. We disagree with this outcome and plan to appeal," Apple said. EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the commission took note of Apple's announcement "and will now assess these new business terms" to see if they are compliant with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). "As part of this assessment the commission considers it particularly important to obtain the views of market operators and interested third parties before deciding on next steps," Regnier added. Apple has frequently hit out at the DMA antitrust rules, complaining it has no choice but to make the changes under threat of large fines. The EU reinforced its legal weaponry in recent years with major twin laws, the Digital Services Act and the DMA, which have provoked the ire of President Donald Trump. The US leader has slammed the EU's digital laws and taxes as "non-tariff barriers" to trade and many tech CEOs have aligned with his administration. The EU and the United States are currently locked in negotiations to avoid Trump's sweeping tariffs on European goods but Brussels has insisted that the digital rules are a red line for the 27-country bloc. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
LeMonde
a day ago
- Business
- LeMonde
Apple changes App Store rules in EU to avoid hefty fines
Apple announced changes to its App Store payment rules in Europe as it hit a Thursday, June 26 deadline to address accusations of breaking EU digital competition rules – or face steep new daily fines. The European Commission in April slapped Apple with a fine of €500 million ($586 million) after concluding it prevented developers from steering customers outside its App Store to access cheaper deals in violation of the bloc's rules. The EU warned Apple it had 60 days – until Thursday – to make changes to comply with the rules or face additional "periodic penalty payments", which it believed could be more than €50 million daily. Apple has changed the rules on the App Store effective Thursday, allowing developers to offer different payment options directly to consumers within their apps, arguing that the changes address the EU's concerns. Apple has paid the €500 million fine but still plans to appeal the penalty on July 7 – and it hit out on Thursday at the extent of the changes sought by Brussels. "The European Commission is requiring Apple to make a series of additional changes to the App Store. We disagree with this outcome and plan to appeal," Apple said. EU spokesman Thomas Regnier said the commission took note of Apple's announcement "and will now assess these new business terms" to see if they are compliant with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). "As part of this assessment the commission considers it particularly important to obtain the views of market operators and interested third parties before deciding on next steps," Regnier added. Apple has frequently hit out at the DMA antitrust rules, complaining it has no choice but to make the changes under threat of large fines. The EU reinforced its legal weaponry in recent years with major twin laws, the Digital Services Act and the DMA, which have provoked the ire of President Donald Trump. The US leader has slammed the EU's digital laws and taxes as "non-tariff barriers" to trade and many tech CEOs have aligned with his administration. The EU and the United States are currently locked in negotiations to avoid Trump's sweeping tariffs on European goods but Brussels has insisted that the digital rules are a red line for the 27-country bloc.
