Apple, Meta Platforms and Alphabet's Google are set to be investigated on whether they have fallen short in complying with the European Union's Digital Markets Act, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The European Commission will likely announce the investigations in the coming days and issue decisions before EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager's term ends in November, they said.
DMA breaches could cost the companies as much as 10% of their global annual turnover. The landmark EU tech rule requires the companies to give users and rivals more choices to ensure a level playing field.
The Commission declined to comment. Apple, Meta and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Earlier this week, Vestager told Reuters in an interview that Apple and Meta's new fees for their services may hinder users from enjoying the benefits of the DMA.
She also singled out tactics used by some companies to disparage rival products or services to discourage users switching to them, saying it was unwise for companies to do so.
Bloomberg was the first to report the imminent DMA investigations into Apple, Meta and Google.
