Meta and Apple Just Got Slapped by Europe’s New Rulebook

(Bloomberg Opinion) — Another day, another European Commission fine against Big Tech — a phenomenon Silicon Valleyviews as little more than a speeding ticket. But Wednesday’s modest(1) penalties against Apple Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc., totaling €700 million ($798 million), belie a more meaningful smackdown by the continent’s antitrust regulator that could force them to rewire their business models.

Assuming the Trump administration pays more attention to the headline numbers than the fine print, the commission may have cleverly threaded the needle: avoid provoking Trump as he threatens tariffs, while forcing Silicon Valley giants to change their behavior.