US courts and regulators intensify scrutiny of Big Tech

United States courts and regulators are increasingly challenging the dominance of major technology companies through significant legal actions and settlements. While European antitrust fines have previously caused friction with US trade interests, recent US judicial outcomes are proving to be more impactful on business models.

Meta has agreed to a settlement of up to $17.1 billion with 47 states regarding child safety. This agreement requires extensive changes to Facebook and Instagram, including implementing age-assurance methods, daily time limits, and disabling certain features during school hours or at night. Meta has structured the settlement to incentivize competitors like TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar restrictions.

In other major cases, US courts have declared Google’s advertising marketplace a monopoly and imposed restrictions on Apple’s app stores. Despite these efforts to curb the power of firms like Amazon, Google, Apple, and Meta, the rapid evolution of the technology sector—particularly the rise of artificial intelligence—has allowed these companies to adapt quickly, often outpacing the speed of government litigation.