2024 was costly year for Big Tech: Here’s how much Apple, Google, and Microsoft paid in fines

Google

Some of the biggest tech companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft had to pay hefty fines in 2024. The fines were paid to governments and regulatory bodies across the globe for breaking rules and violating laws, as per a report by Proton. Google had to pay the maximum fine for abusing its market position. Its parent company, Alphabet, paid a total fine of $2.9 billion, which also included a $2.5 billion penalty from the European Union.

Apple too had to pay huge fines. The report reveals that the Cupertino-giant paid $2 billion to the European Union or the EU for violating streaming rules. Apart from that Apple also paid $89 million in the US for not handling customer disputes related to Apple Card efficiently. Things did not end there for Apple. It paid $14.4 million in South Korea for not complying with in-app payment policies.

This year, Microsoft too could not escape unhurt. The tech giant had to pay $1.4 billion in the EU for violating antitrust laws. Meta, which is the biggest social media company and has often been criticised for its policies, paid $1.6 billion for mismanaging user data. Amazon too had to pay $1.4 billion in fines for violating privacy of users and indulging in anti-competitive practices.

While these fines sound enormous, they have not impacted the companies in a big way. Google made over $47 billion in the first few months of 2024, which means it was able to pay the fine of $2.9 billion in about 15 days. Similarly, Apple’s earnings allowed it to settle the fines in less than seven days.