Meta and Apple edge toward an EU truce to sidestep spiraling DMA fines

Meta and Apple are close to cutting deals with Brussels that would defuse two headline antitrust fights and keep fresh penalties at bay. People briefed on the talks say the companies are in the final stretch of agreeing to change a slate of business practices after April’s €700 million hit under the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

For Meta, the sticking point has been its “pay-or-consent” setup — accept tracking or pay for an ad-free version. Regulators had already fined the Facebook owner €200 million and ordered a rethink. Officials now sound more upbeat than they were in the spring, but they want any new choices to be obvious and easy to navigate, not buried behind design tricks.

Apple has been haggling over App Store rules that limited developers from steering users to offers outside the iPhone ecosystem. In June, Apple laid out planned changes and said it did what it had to do to avoid bigger trouble. The Commission is still chewing over developer feedback and is also pressing Apple on newer contract terms. Apple insists it’s compliant and has accused Brussels of moving the goalposts; it’s appealing portions of prior decisions.

A settlement would matter financially. Under the DMA, daily fines can climb to as much as 5% of a company’s average global daily revenue, and they escalate. Politically, it would also cool a transatlantic flashpoint: the EU’s digital rulebook has drawn fire from President Donald Trump, who’s threatened retaliation against countries he says are targeting US tech.

Brussels, for its part, says “compliance” means developers get a real opportunity and users get a real choice — without a maze of dark patterns. Negotiations are ongoing and nothing is signed, but both sides sound hopeful. If either company falls short after a deal, the Commission says every option remains on the table, including renewed penalty payments.

With input from the Financial Times and Benzinga.