The $570 million fine against Apple in the European Union has triggered a sharp rebuke from President Trump’s White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports.
The European Commisison announced the fine on Wednesday, after wrapping up a formal investigation into Apple’s compliance with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DMA is intended to reduce the market dominance of so-called “gatekeeper” companies, like Apple, Meta, and Google.
The Commission ruled that Apple violated the DMA by restricting developers from informing users about alternative payment options outside the App Store and by preventing the distribution of iOS apps through competing app marketplaces.
A White House spokesperson spoke with Reuters, condemning the EU’s actions:
This novel form of economic extortion will not be tolerated by the United States. Extraterritorial regulations that specifically target and undermine American companies, stifle innovation, and enable censorship will be recognized as barriers to trade and a direct threat to free civil society.
Apple said it plans to appeal the decision, calling it “another example of the commission unfairly targeting the company” with actions that are “bad for the privacy and security of our users.”
