Margrethe Vestager, the European Union's head of digital policy, believes that Apple is paying fines to avoid complying with a Dutch antitrust order.
The tech giant paid a fifth penalty in the Netherlands on Monday, bringing its total fine to 25 million dollars, still with no compliance in sight.
The incoming Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will apply ex ante rules to the most powerful, is a key plank of the bloc's digital policy.
Apple's conduct in the Netherlands may be an example. We understand that Apple prefers paying fines rather than complying with the Dutch Competition Authority's decision on the terms and conditions for third parties to access its appstore. That will be one of the obligations included in the DMA.
Apple was contacted for a response.
Effective enforcement, which includes the Commission having sufficient resources to do so, will be key to ensure compliance.
She said that they want their work to inspire other jurisdictions in the same way. Several bills in the US are similar to our proposal. It means that there is a great degree of global consensus.
The EU hopes that US lawmakers will unite to get digital competition reform through, as it often fails to make it through Congress.
The impact of our digital legislation will depend on what happens outside of the EU's borders, as well as within, she said.
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The EU and the US may not end up with the exact result of the new Technology Competition Policy Dialogue.
The EU isn't sure the DMA on its own can be an effective tool for rebalancing tipped digital markets, and that regulating the most powerful tech companies in the world requires a global response that must include the US.
In order to counter accusations that Europe is being protectionist by creating punishing rules, the case is being pressed in front of a US audience.
Both our commitment to free and open trade as well as our credibility as an enforcer, demand that our actions apply equally, regardless of the origin of the companies concerned.
The bloc's failure to uniformly enforce flagship data protection rules against tech giants is a lesson. The US does not have a comprehensive federal privacy law.
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