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Brussels is reevaluating its investigations into tech giants, including Apple, Meta and Google, as US groups urge President-elect Donald Trump to intervene against what they describe as excessive enforcement by the European Union.
The review, which could lead to the European Commission reducing or changing its competencies, will cover all cases initiated since March last year under the Penal Code. Regulations for digital markets in the European UnionAccording to two officials familiar with the move.
This comes as the Brussels body begins a new five-year term amid mounting pressure over its handling of historical cases and as Trump prepares to return to the White House next week.
“It's going to be a whole new ball game with those Technology “They are using this to put pressure on us,” said a senior EU diplomat familiar with the review. “There's a lot up in the air right now.”
All decisions and potential fines will be paused while the review is completed, but technical work in these cases will continue, officials said.
While some of the investigations under review are still at an early stage, others are more advanced. Charges were expected in the investigation into Google's alleged favoritism of its App Store last year.
Two other EU officials said that regulators in Brussels are now waiting for political guidance to make final decisions on the Google, Apple and Meta issues.
The review comes as EU lawmakers call on the Commission to hold its nerve in the face of US pressure, while Silicon Valley leaders hail Trump's return as the beginning of an era of lighter technology regulation.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Friday called on the president-elect to stop Brussels from imposing fines on US tech companies, complaining that EU regulators have forced them to pay “more than $30 billion” in penalties over the past 20 years.
Zuckerberg, who recently announced his plans Cancel fact checking He said on Facebook and Instagram — potentially in violation of EU rules — that he was confident the incoming Trump administration wanted to defend American interests abroad.
One official said the fallout from Trump's presidency was a factor in the review, but insisted his win did not trigger it.
The committee said it “remains fully committed to the effective application” of its rules. An EU spokesperson said: “There is no delay in concluding open non-compliance cases, especially not due to any political considerations.”
The spokesman added that the ongoing cases were “not yet ready at the technical level,” noting that such investigations took time due to their complexity and novelty and “the need to ensure that the committee’s decisions are legally robust.”
Before Trump's win, European Union regulators were cracking down on the world's largest tech groups, passing a raft of reforms aimed at opening up markets and creating a regulatory framework for big tech companies.
Under the Digital Markets Act, a law that seeks to limit the abuse of large market platforms, Brussels launched investigations last March into Apple, Google and Meta.
The Commission has also come under pressure to use the full powers of the Digital Services Act, a set of rules aimed at policing online content, to limit the growing influence of tech billionaire Elon Musk in European affairs.
In addition to a similar investigation into Google owner Alphabet, the committee was looking into whether Apple favors its own App Store, as well as Facebook owner Meta's use of personal data for ads.
Brussels is also consulting with Apple's rivals on the tech giant's proposals to make its iOS operating system compatible with connected devices.
Margrethe Vestager of Denmark and Thierry Breton of France, both of whom have taken a hard line against US technology companies, resigned from the commission in November.
“Priorities may change,” one said. “(The digital rules) come from the previous committee.”
European Union lawmakers called on regulators to stand firm. Stephanie Yoon Curtin, a member of the European Parliament who was involved in drafting the technology rules, said EU investigations could not be sacrificed to avoid diplomatic repercussions.
In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, Commission President, Yoon Courten said the DMA “cannot be taken hostage.”
“Please assure me that your government and you fully support the effective implementation of the DMA, without further delay,” she added.
