EU antitrust chief to meet with Tim Cook to discuss fines and regulation

AppleInsider · January 5, 2024 3:00PM

The European Union's Margrethe Vestager is to meet with Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai and more Big Tech executives to discuss EU digital regulation.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission

Despite leading Europe's moves to increase taxation on Big Tech firms, and also to open up App Store to alternatives, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager has previously said she is opposed to breaking up large technology firms. She described such moves as "doable," but said I think it's important we try these routes [regulation and taxation] first with the platforms."

According to Reuters, Vestager is now coming to the US to discuss these routes with the heads of Apple, Google, Broadcom, and Nvidia. She will meet with them on Thursday January 11, 2024, and Friday, January 12, 2024, in San Francisco and Palo Alto.

Vestager is also due to meet with OpenAI's chief technology officer Mira Murati, and its chief strategy officer, Jason Kwon, but no details have been announced.

The meetings see Vestager resuming her duties as EU antitrust chief, having failed to become head of the European Investment Bank. According to Reuters, antitrust experts now expect Vestager to take a tougher stance on issues such as mergers and competition.

Separately, despite Vestager arguing that breaking up Big Tech firms would "tie you up in court for a very long time," the European Commission has said that "only the mandatory divestment by Google of part of its services would address [our] competition concerns."

Read on AppleInsider

mikethemartian · January 5, 2024 4:35PM

AllM said:

Is this old politician herself fit for the ’Digital Age’? Answering to a former obstetrician, I see…

Those ‘digital’ politicians are often more outdated than my G4 iBook.

She’s younger than Tim Cook.

rob53 · January 5, 2024 5:05PM

I always find it interesting that the EU only brings in American companies to try and regulate. The article didn't include who the "more Big Tech" companies are but I assume none of them are from the EU. It would be nice if the EU cartel of countries actually had something to offer to the world instead of simply taxing a company to make its payroll.

robin huber · January 5, 2024 5:49PM

Hope she’s a good listener. The fact that she’s coming here is a hopeful sign.

alex_v · January 5, 2024 5:58PM

rob53 said:

I always find it interesting that the EU only brings in American companies to try and regulate. The article didn't include who the "more Big Tech" companies are but I assume none of them are from the EU. It would be nice if the EU cartel of countries actually had something to offer to the world instead of simply taxing a company to make its payroll.

A garbage tirade. Wilfully ignorant.

darren mccoy · January 5, 2024 6:05PM

The USA should require all imported EU vehicles to allow for ford or GM engines. It's only fair!

nubus · January 5, 2024 6:15PM

AllM said:

Is this old politician herself fit for the ’Digital Age’?

Think Different! You can quote her, disagree with her, glorify or vilify her, but the only thing you and Cook can’t do is ignore her because she changes things. Vestager is absolutely not for turning. With both her parents being Lutheran pastors she is 100% focused on "fair play". She grew up in a country where carrots are hit by a 25% sales tax. Not pleasing anyone is what got her elected. Cook tried in the past to sweet talk or scare her with his "I'm CEO of a big US company", then called her politics "crap", and pushed DC + Obama to behave like henchmen in order to save the tax scheme of Apple. Didn't work... like didn't work at all. Complete failure. According to sources quoted by Financial Times the meeting Cook had with her was "the worst meeting ever in Brussels". This simply indicates that Cook came fully unprepared as her style hasn't changed.

Unlike the last 3 US presidents she is capable of making stuff happen. She pushed for USB C, Digital Markets Act, AI Act, and has been a fierce advocate for GDPR. These days EU is setting the standard for how things are done with legislation is copied around the world. I don't get why Cook want to meet her after having called her politics crap and sent political henchmen after her. She is known to have the memory of an elephant. Unless Cook is ready to pay and surrender then it simply won't work.

glennh · January 5, 2024 6:15PM

Another EU socialist Capo shakedown? Maybe…..

nubus · January 5, 2024 6:40PM

glennh said:

Another EU socialist Capo shakedown? Maybe…..

Where would Apple be without selling to the communists of China, the "socialists" of EU etc.? Well... it would be a very, very small and domestic company mainly operating in the same states as Waffle House. MSFT is about to overtake AAPL and your main focus is on hating 27 democratic countries in Europe. How is that going to help?

rob53 · January 5, 2024 6:41PM

AllM said:

Alex_V said:

rob53 said:

I always find it interesting that the EU only brings in American companies to try and regulate. The article didn't include who the "more Big Tech" companies are but I assume none of them are from the EU. It would be nice if the EU cartel of countries actually had something to offer to the world instead of simply taxing a company to make its payroll.

A garbage tirade. Wilfully ignorant.

So what do you think they can offer, then?

Thanks for the support.

avon b7 · January 5, 2024 6:49PM

AllM said:

nubus said:

AllM said:

Is this old politician herself fit for the ’Digital Age’?

Think Different! You can quote her, disagree with her, glorify or vilify her, but the only thing you and Cook can’t do is ignore her because she changes things. Vestager is absolutely not for turning. With both her parents being Lutheran pastors she is 100% focused on "fair play". She grew up in a country where carrots are hit by a 25% sales tax. Not pleasing anyone is what got her elected. Cook tried in the past to sweet talk or scare her with his "I'm CEO of a big US company", then called her politics "crap", and pushed DC + Obama to behave like henchmen in order to save the tax scheme of Apple. Didn't work... like didn't work at all. Complete failure. According to sources quoted by Financial Times the meeting Cook had with her was "the worst meeting ever in Brussels". This simply indicates that Cook came fully unprepared as her style hasn't changed.

Unlike the last 3 US presidents she is capable of making stuff happen. She pushed for USB C, Digital Markets Act, AI Act, and has been a fierce advocate for GDPR. These days EU is setting the standard for how things are done with legislation is copied around the world. I don't get why Cook want to meet her after having called her politics crap and sent political henchmen after her. She is known to have the memory of an elephant. Unless Cook is ready to pay and surrender then it simply won't work.

Nice quoting Jobs, - yet we’ll talk when this has affected our user experience and Apple’s pricing. Tim Cook won’t pay for your new Mac, and neither will this lady. Unlike her, Jobs whom you quote gave us the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPad. How could one even compare an artist like him to a politician whose job is to tax you?

P.S. GDPR is so useless one even needs third-party software to get rid of its notices. Prove me wrong.

GDPR is an absolutely necessary piece of legislation. A model to follow and considered one of the best stabs at protecting EU citizens in the digital age.

To many here it's the silent shield. Without it, Meta would have been deep into our underwear and way up our nooks and crannies!

It's what saved EU WhatsApp users from many of those nasty privacy changes Meta tried to slip in a while back.

No legislation is perfect and it will get revised but I'd rather have it over any alternative.

danox · January 5, 2024 6:50PM

Meeting Margrethe Vestager isn't a problem, she is the player you hate when they are not on your side yes (Avon B7), Apple should just build regional Apple devices for the EU and move forward with better Apple products in the rest of the world. They are after all only 19% of what Apple sells to the world.

edited January 2024

chasm · January 5, 2024 7:26PM

I don’t know that I agree with the EU’s positions all of the time, but they are absolutely correct that Google needs to divest any businesses it has that compromise its core. In particular, Google needs to get rid of its ad business, which is engaged in egregious monopoly abuse and unethical practices.

nubus · January 5, 2024 7:31PM

AllM said:
Nice quoting Jobs, - yet we’ll talk when this has affected our user experience and Apple’s pricing. Tim Cook won’t pay for your new Mac, and neither will this lady. Unlike her, Jobs whom you quote gave us the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPad. How could one even compare an artist like him to a politician whose job is to tax you?

P.S. GDPR is so useless one even needs third-party software to get rid of its notices. Prove me wrong.

It doesn't matter if you get GDPR. The important part is that a global company can't ignore it. That is real power. I don't see any current US politician operating on that level. Hate it or not, but there is a bit Pelosi to it. We need for Tim Cook and team to get that. The next Vestager is problably not going to be any more US-friendly.

hexclock · January 5, 2024 8:59PM

The idea that this woman has the power to break up an American company like Apple is laughable. She has no such power.

tech_traveller · January 5, 2024 9:02PM

AllM said:

nubus said:

AllM said:
Nice quoting Jobs, - yet we’ll talk when this has affected our user experience and Apple’s pricing. Tim Cook won’t pay for your new Mac, and neither will this lady. Unlike her, Jobs whom you quote gave us the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPad. How could one even compare an artist like him to a politician whose job is to tax you?

P.S. GDPR is so useless one even needs third-party software to get rid of its notices. Prove me wrong.

It doesn't matter if you get GDPR. The important part is that a global company can't ignore it. That is real power. I don't see any current US politician operating on that level. Hate it or not, but there is a bit Pelosi to it. We need for Tim Cook and team to get that. The next Vestager is problably not going to be any more US-friendly.

I don’t get foreign politicians prying into American business practices. Were the US to merely entertain the idea of introducing, say, a 200% import duty on all European produce in response they’d have no choice but to cease and desist (and perhaps even apologize).

Do you really think the US is going to antagonise the EU over Apple losing money over side loading, when other other American companies such as Google and Microsoft (and even Apple themselves on Macs) allow it and are doing just fine.

If anything the US is going to replicate the digital markets act in the future.

tech_traveller · January 5, 2024 9:04PM

AllM said:

avon b7 said:

AllM said:

nubus said:

AllM said:

Is this old politician herself fit for the ’Digital Age’?

Think Different! You can quote her, disagree with her, glorify or vilify her, but the only thing you and Cook can’t do is ignore her because she changes things. Vestager is absolutely not for turning. With both her parents being Lutheran pastors she is 100% focused on "fair play". She grew up in a country where carrots are hit by a 25% sales tax. Not pleasing anyone is what got her elected. Cook tried in the past to sweet talk or scare her with his "I'm CEO of a big US company", then called her politics "crap", and pushed DC + Obama to behave like henchmen in order to save the tax scheme of Apple. Didn't work... like didn't work at all. Complete failure. According to sources quoted by Financial Times the meeting Cook had with her was "the worst meeting ever in Brussels". This simply indicates that Cook came fully unprepared as her style hasn't changed.

Unlike the last 3 US presidents she is capable of making stuff happen. She pushed for USB C, Digital Markets Act, AI Act, and has been a fierce advocate for GDPR. These days EU is setting the standard for how things are done with legislation is copied around the world. I don't get why Cook want to meet her after having called her politics crap and sent political henchmen after her. She is known to have the memory of an elephant. Unless Cook is ready to pay and surrender then it simply won't work.

Nice quoting Jobs, - yet we’ll talk when this has affected our user experience and Apple’s pricing. Tim Cook won’t pay for your new Mac, and neither will this lady. Unlike her, Jobs whom you quote gave us the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPad. How could one even compare an artist like him to a politician whose job is to tax you?

P.S. GDPR is so useless one even needs third-party software to get rid of its notices. Prove me wrong.

GDPR is an absolutely necessary piece of legislation. A model to follow and considered one of the best stabs at protecting EU citizens in the digital age.

To many here it's the silent shield. Without it, Meta would have been deep into our underwear and way up our nooks and crannies!

It's what saved EU WhatsApp users from many of those nasty privacy changes Meta tried to slip in a while back.

No legislation is perfect and it will get revised but I'd rather have it over any alternative.

What’sWhat? Isn’t it better not to use crap products in the first place rather than rely on legislation to protect you?

Isn't it funny you say that, when your culture has created a literal social class over the colours in a messaging app.

At least, Europeans don't segregate based on Blue and Green bubbles.

avon b7 · January 5, 2024 10:06PM

AllM said:

avon b7 said:

AllM said:

nubus said:

AllM said:

Is this old politician herself fit for the ’Digital Age’?

Think Different! You can quote her, disagree with her, glorify or vilify her, but the only thing you and Cook can’t do is ignore her because she changes things. Vestager is absolutely not for turning. With both her parents being Lutheran pastors she is 100% focused on "fair play". She grew up in a country where carrots are hit by a 25% sales tax. Not pleasing anyone is what got her elected. Cook tried in the past to sweet talk or scare her with his "I'm CEO of a big US company", then called her politics "crap", and pushed DC + Obama to behave like henchmen in order to save the tax scheme of Apple. Didn't work... like didn't work at all. Complete failure. According to sources quoted by Financial Times the meeting Cook had with her was "the worst meeting ever in Brussels". This simply indicates that Cook came fully unprepared as her style hasn't changed.

Unlike the last 3 US presidents she is capable of making stuff happen. She pushed for USB C, Digital Markets Act, AI Act, and has been a fierce advocate for GDPR. These days EU is setting the standard for how things are done with legislation is copied around the world. I don't get why Cook want to meet her after having called her politics crap and sent political henchmen after her. She is known to have the memory of an elephant. Unless Cook is ready to pay and surrender then it simply won't work.

Nice quoting Jobs, - yet we’ll talk when this has affected our user experience and Apple’s pricing. Tim Cook won’t pay for your new Mac, and neither will this lady. Unlike her, Jobs whom you quote gave us the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPad. How could one even compare an artist like him to a politician whose job is to tax you?

P.S. GDPR is so useless one even needs third-party software to get rid of its notices. Prove me wrong.

GDPR is an absolutely necessary piece of legislation. A model to follow and considered one of the best stabs at protecting EU citizens in the digital age.

To many here it's the silent shield. Without it, Meta would have been deep into our underwear and way up our nooks and crannies!

It's what saved EU WhatsApp users from many of those nasty privacy changes Meta tried to slip in a while back.

No legislation is perfect and it will get revised but I'd rather have it over any alternative.

What’sWhat? Isn’t it better not to use crap products in the first place rather than rely on legislation to protect you?

The WhatsApp problem arose from a situation of evolution. Not that people jumped on a Facebook app or had even the slightest intention of doing so.

When Facebook took over WhatsApp it was already a major player.

Lots of promises were made by Facebook. Of course, they got caught lying (and fined by the EU IIRC) but Whatsapp wasn't Messenger. You didn't need a Facebook account.

People used it more and more, pushing it to the undisputed top of the charts.

Then, with much of the world onboard, it tried one of its moves (not unlike when Google 'simplified' it's privacy policies across services).

The GDPR was the only thing protecting EU users from that attempt by them to dig even deeper into users.

Of course, the GDPR is far more than Big Tech. Every day individuals are fined for breaking data protection rules. Often unaware that they were doing anything illegal. Small fines like 20 or 40€ up to thousands, depending on the seriousness.

9secondkox2 · January 5, 2024 10:08PM

Nothing to discuss. Apple isn’t in business to fund the EU.

avon b7 · January 5, 2024 10:14PM

hexclock said:

The idea that this woman has the power to break up an American company like Apple is laughable. She has no such power.

I don't think it's possible at the moment but Regulation 1/2003 is up for review and some German politicians would seemingly like to see company breakups as a new power. There were some calls for it in 2022.

nubus · January 5, 2024 10:24PM

AllM said:
I don’t get foreign politicians prying into American business practices. Were the US to merely entertain the idea of introducing, say, a 200% import duty on all European produce in response they’d have no choice but to cease and desist (and perhaps even apologize).

You really need to get it. Non-US is around 86% of global GDP. US companies do adapt in order to go beyond their 14% market.
Don't blame EU for Apple not making the iPhone 15 without USB C for US.

And it gets worse... American companies like HP and Dell sell their computers with a TCO certification. TCO is a Swedish trade union! But hey... we get hit by Sarbanes-Oxley and other stuff from US politicians. The world is connected.

EU antitrust chief to meet with Tim Cook to discuss fines and regulation

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