EU Cracks Down on Google and Apple Over Digital Market Rules

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The European Commission intensified its regulatory action against Big Tech on Wednesday, charging Google with two violations of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and ordering Apple to open its ecosystem to competitors. The crackdown comes amid growing tensions between the EU and the U.S., with former President Donald Trump previously threatening tariffs in response to European fines on American companies.

Google’s alleged violations include restricting app developers from directing users to external offers outside the Google Play Store and prioritizing its own services—such as Google Flights, Google Shopping, and Google Hotels—over competitors in search results. The EU claims these practices hinder fair competition and consumer choice. Google defended its business model, warning that stricter regulations could reduce the quality of search results and limit investment in Android and Play services.

Apple was issued two compliance orders, requiring it to allow rival device makers seamless access to its technology and to establish clear timelines for responding to developers’ interoperability requests. Apple pushed back, arguing that these measures would slow innovation and unfairly benefit competitors who do not follow the same regulations.

Both companies face serious consequences if they fail to comply. Google, which has already been fined over €8 billion by the EU for previous antitrust violations, could face penalties of up to 10% of its global revenue. Apple may also undergo further investigations and financial sanctions if it does not meet the new regulatory demands.

Despite the regulatory pressure, shares of Alphabet and Apple rose by 1% and 1.6%, respectively, following the announcement.

Baidu Denies Data Breach Amid Controversy Over Executive’s Daughter

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Baidu, one of China’s largest search and cloud service providers, has denied allegations of an internal data breach after the teenage daughter of a senior executive was accused of posting personal information online. The controversy erupted when social media users alleged that the daughter of Baidu vice president Xie Guangjun had leaked private details, including phone numbers, during an online dispute.

In response, Baidu stated that neither employees nor executives have access to user data and that the leaked information originated from illegally obtained databases hosted on foreign platforms. The company also announced that it had filed a police report to counter misinformation, including claims that Xie’s daughter had access to Baidu’s databases.

Xie, a member of Baidu’s cloud division, apologized for his daughter’s actions, asserting that she had acquired the data from overseas social media sites. His statement, reported by Chinese media, was shared on his personal WeChat account.

The incident comes as China tightens data security laws to curb the sale of private information, an issue exacerbated by illicit data brokers. The controversy has impacted Baidu’s stock performance, with shares dropping over 4% in Hong Kong trading on Thursday morning.

Nvidia to Invest Billions in U.S. Chip Production Over Four Years

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Nvidia (NVDA.O) plans to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S.-made chips and electronics over the next four years, CEO Jensen Huang told the Financial Times. The company expects to spend around $500 billion on electronics during this period, with a substantial portion allocated to domestic manufacturing.

Huang emphasized that the U.S. AI industry could expand more rapidly with support from government policies. His comments come as Nvidia seeks to address investor concerns about demand for its high-cost AI chips, especially following the emergence of China’s DeepSeek chatbot as a potential competitor.

While Nvidia declined to comment on the FT report, Huang stated that the company can now manufacture its latest systems in the U.S. through key suppliers like Taiwanese chipmakers TSMC (2330.TW) and Foxconn (2317.TW). He also noted an increasing competitive threat from China’s Huawei.

Huang highlighted that TSMC’s U.S. investments significantly strengthen Nvidia’s supply chain resilience. Earlier, at Nvidia’s developer conference in California, he told analysts that orders for 3.6 million Blackwell AI chips from four major cloud firms likely underestimate actual demand, as they do not account for customers such as Meta Platforms (META.O), smaller cloud providers, and startups.