On Tuesday, 19 March, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age issued a warning to Apple and Meta regarding their new fees for services. Vestager expressed concern that these fees could prevent users from enjoying the benefits of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and having more choices.
The announcement comes on the same day Meta offered to halve the monthly subscription fee for its European services. Despite the concession, Austrian lawyer, privacy activist and honorary chair of the not-for-profit organisation NOYB, Max Schrems, said, "the issue is not about the level of the fee."
Commenting on the announcement, TechCrunch highlighted that the Commission is paying careful attention to the coercion tactics used by gatekeepers to circumvent the intended impact of the EU's digital rules. In specific remarks about Meta, an EU spokesperson said, "According to consumer law, consumers should be in a position to make economic choices in a fair and unbiased manner so that they do not take a decision that would be contrary to their interest."
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