Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) are reportedly close to settling their respective antitrust cases with the European Commission.
Tech Giants Near Deal to Avoid Further EU Fines
The two U.S. tech giants are in the final stages of negotiations with European regulators to amend various business practices, The Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
This comes after they were collectively fined €700 million ($772 million) in April for violating the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
The potential settlement is seen as a means for the companies to avoid further escalating fines from Brussels. The EU’s digital regulations have been a contentious issue between the bloc and the U.S., with President Donald Trump threatening retaliation against countries that “discriminate” against American firms.
European officials are hopeful for a feasible solution with Meta after the company’s initial proposed changes were deemed inadequate, the FT reported. The key unresolved issue is ensuring that consumers can effortlessly find and navigate Meta’s various options in the EU, the publication added.
Apple, which had previously announced intentions to amend its App Store policies, is also negotiating with the commission about new contractual terms for developers, according to the report.
Apple and Meta did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s requests for comment.
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Daily Fines Could Add Up To 5% Of Revenues, FT Says
The potential settlement follows a series of interactions between the tech giants and the European Commission. In July 2025, Apple contested a €500 million ($586 million) fine imposed by the EU over alleged anti-competitive practices on its App Store, calling the penalty “unprecedented” and “far beyond what the law requires.”
Meanwhile, Meta had a more positive interaction with the Commission in September 2025, when it received approval for a joint venture with India’s Reliance Industries Limited, focusing on enterprise artificial intelligence services.
A settlement would enable both Apple and Meta to avoid daily financial penalties, which could accumulate over time and amount to as much as 5% of their average global daily revenue, as per the Financial Times.
Meta and Apple hold similar momentum ratings over 70%. However, Meta scores better in terms of growth with an 85.66% rating, while Apple’s is below 30% according to Benzinga's Proprietary Edge Rankings. The Benzinga Growth metric evaluates a stock’s historical earnings and revenue expansion across multiple timeframes, prioritizing both long-term trends and recent performance.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
