22/04/2025 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday, 22 April, the German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that the European Commission could, for the first time, impose sanctions on American digital giants Apple and Meta – two of the six ‘gatekeepers’ designated at the EU level – on Wednesday, 23 April, for violating the regulation governing digital markets (DMA). How difficult it is to access alternative applications to Apple reportedly poses a problem, while Meta’s management of users’ personal data is reportedly not in compliance with European rules. These policy decisions would bring the legal investigations opened back in March 2024 (see EUROPE 13378/8) to a close – which, according to a European Commission spokesperson, were completed several weeks ago. They would come at a delicate time in transatlantic relations, as the EU is trying to reach an agreement with the United States in order to avoid the trade confrontation triggered by US President Donald Trump. (MB)