Microsoft, Apple, Google and Booking to answer EU questions on scams

US tech giants Microsoft, Apple and Google and hotel booking website Booking have received questions from the European Commission regarding their mitigation measures to police financial fraud.

Thomas Regnier, a Commission spokesperson, told journalists on Tuesday that the requests under the Digital Services Act (DSA) are sent because the EU executive wants proof that their services are not being misused by scammers.

“This is an essential step to protect users in the EU from these practices, and to make sure that platforms in the EU play their role,” he said.

The request for information is just a first step and does not mean that a formal proceeding under the EU’s online platform rules will be triggered.

The DSA entered into force for the largest online platforms, those with more than 45 million users in the EU, in 2023. The Commission oversees the DSA compliance of those platforms, currently 25, including Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok. 

Until now, the Commission has opened formal proceedings against ten online platforms: AliExpress, Pornhub, Facebook, Instagram, XNXX, Stripchat, TikTok, X, Temu, Xvideos.

None of these probes have been formally wrapped up yet.

The Commission has been criticised by the US administration led by Donald Trump. The US president warned in August that he would impose tariffs on countries whose technology regulation hits American companies. The EU executive previously said that the EU will continue to enforce its rules.