This has basically just become a stealth tax at this point.

You can't raise VAT as that would be massively unpopular, so this is the next best option.

1: Fine tech bros for $reason and $amount must be in the billions

2: $business raises costs to cover the fine, now their AI is 50 cents more expensive per $x thousands of tokens

3: EU collects sweet money under the guise that tech bros are bad, and who would disagree?

4: go to step 1.

There are no other legitimate reasons to fine such an absurd amount and since the EU needs to find a way to stealth tax the population this is a great way to do it. You're not going to ban Facebook, and you're able to create endless reasons to fine them billions.

Don't believe me? Save this comment, check back in 2028, 2029 and 2030. I predict at least 10-15€ billion in fines for various reasons, which will obviously include privacy. You could probably even guess the date, amount and reason of fine it's become so predictable from the EU.

This is awfully rude. It’s entirely possible to do business without violating local laws. Furthermore a government would be in dereliction of its duties if it did not enforce the laws that it has passed. If Meta doesn’t wish to comply with local laws it can just withdraw from the local market, as an Italian I’d be delighted if they packed up and left, heaven knows they’ve done nothing but harm to society.

I do feel many governments are exceedingly preoccupied with inventive ways of raising tax that isn't raising VAT and income tax directly, or raising prices, in ever more elaborate ways.

How many tens of billions do you need to fine a company before just banning it. Politicians will wax lyrical about big bad tech companies but judge them by what they do, not what they say.

(Not to be read as a defence of big tech)