According to foreign media reports on Tuesday, the European Commission is reassessing its investigation into $Apple (AAPL.US)$ 、 $Meta Platforms (META.US)$ and $Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US)$ , while these USA companies are also urging the elected President Donald Trump to intervene in what they describe as excessive enforcement by the EU.
The report cites sources as saying that the review could lead to the European Commission scaling back or changing the scope of the investigation, covering all cases initiated since March 2024 under the EU's landmark Digital Markets Act (DMA).
As the pressure of handling these cases increases, the Institutions have also begun a new five-year term, while Trump is preparing to return to the White House next week.
A senior EU diplomat stated, "These Technology tycoons are so closely tied to Trump and are using this to pressure us, this will be an entirely new game," "There are still many unresolved issues."
It is understood that during the review period, all decisions and possible fines will be suspended, but the technical work related to the cases will continue. The regulatory body is currently waiting for political direction to make a final decision on the Google, Apple, and Meta cases.
Before Trump's victory, the European Commission had been taking proactive actions against the world's largest tech groups, passing a series of reform measures aimed at opening up markets and establishing a regulatory framework for large tech companies.
DMA is one of the strictest regulatory provisions aimed at the market dominance of Technology giants, imposing stricter content limits, allowing for fair competition, and making it easier for consumers to switch between different services.
The bill came into effect in 2022, aiming to curb the power of large Technology companies and ensure a fair competitive environment for small competitors. Under this bill, the EU launched investigations into Apple, Alphabet-A, and Meta Platforms last March.
Currently, the European Commission is facing pressure from the growing influence of technology billionaire Elon Musk in European affairs, or to fully utilize the rules under the DMA aimed at regulating online content to curb Musk's power.
In addition to a similar investigation into Alphabet, the European Commission is also investigating whether Apple has a bias in its own app store and Meta's use of personal data for advertising purposes. The EU has also consulted Apple's competitors regarding Apple's proposal to make its iOS operating system compatible with connected devices.
Margrethe Vestager from Denmark and Thierry Breton from France resigned from the European Commission last November, both taking a tough stance against American Technology companies.
One of them stated, "The focus may be shifting," "(Digital rules) come from the last commission."
European Parliament members are calling for Institutions to maintain a firm stance. Stephanie Yon-Courtin, a member of the European Parliament involved in drafting Technology rules, stated that the EU's investigations cannot be sacrificed to avoid diplomatic consequences.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Yon-Courtin stated that the DMA "cannot be hijacked."
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