The European Union on Tuesday ordered leading technology firms, including Apple and Google, to explain what measures they are taking to combat online financial scams, as Brussels signalled its determination to enforce digital rules.
The European Commission issued requests for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to Apple, Google, Microsoft and Booking.com, asking how they prevent their platforms from being exploited by fraudsters.
The DSA, the EU’s flagship legislation against illegal online content, has triggered accusations of censorship from US tech companies and threats of retaliation from US President Donald Trump.
“This is an essential step to protect users across the EU from these practices and to ensure platforms play their part,” said EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier.
The request covers Apple’s App Store, Google Play, Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Booking’s travel platform. EU officials fear app stores may host fraudulent banking apps, while search engines and travel sites could direct users to fake websites.
Microsoft said it remained “committed to creating safe experiences online”, while Google stressed it blocks “hundreds of millions of scammy results in search every day”. Booking noted it had cut phishing-related fake reservations from 1.5 million in 2023 to 250,000 in 2024.
Although the requests do not amount to an accusation of wrongdoing, they could trigger formal investigations and fines under the DSA.
The EU has already launched probes into Meta, TikTok and X. It insists its rules apply equally to non-European companies, pointing to scrutiny of Chinese platforms such as AliExpress.
Defending the regulations, Brussels argues that “what is illegal offline is also illegal online”.
EU digital chief Henna Virkkunen told AFP last week that ongoing probes, including one into Elon Musk’s X, would conclude in the “coming weeks and months”, with further investigations likely.