Draft EU legislation could see tech giants fined

An employee at an Amazon distribution center. Draft EU legislation set to be unveiled Tuesday could see tech giants fined up to 10 percent of their revenues. (AFP/File)
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Updated 15 December 2020
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Draft EU legislation could see tech giants fined

  • The landmark regulation envisions banning some of the globe’s leading tech firms from the EU market ‘in the event of serious and repeated breaches of law’

BRUSSELS: Draft EU legislation set to be unveiled Tuesday could see tech giants fined up to 10 percent of their revenues for serious competition violations, EU sources said.

The landmark regulation also envisions banning some of the globe’s leading tech firms from the EU market “in the event of serious and repeated breaches of law which endanger the security of European citizens,” sources said on Monday.

The EU Commission is gearing up to present its long-trailed Digital Services Act and its accompanying Digital Markets Act to lay out strict conditions for internet giants to do business in the 27 countries.

The biggest tech firms would be designated internet “gatekeepers” under the proposals, subject to specific regulations to limit their power over the market.

Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon, and maybe others, will almost certainly be slapped with the designation.

The proposed legislation will go through a long and complex ratification process, with the EU’s member states, the European Parliament, and company lobbyists and trade associations influencing the final law.

The main intention of the Digital Services Act is to update legislation that dates back to 2004, when many of today’s internet giants either did not exist or were in their infancy.

Tech giants will need to inform the EU ahead of any planned mergers or acquisitions under the regulations, the bloc’s industry commissioner Thierry Breton said Monday.

There has been growing concern among European and US regulators that the big tech firms have used purchases as a way to nip in the bud potential rivals.

Examples include Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp as well as Google’s purchase of YouTube and Waze.

France and the Netherlands have already come out in favour of Europe having all the tools it needs to rein in the gatekeepers, including the power to break them up.


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183

Updated 16 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Monday, losing 44.79 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,183.85.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.05 billion ($1.08 billion), as 69 of the listed stocks advanced, while 191 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 6.63 points or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,504.73.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 328.20 points, or 1.36 percent, to close at 23,764.92. This comes as 22 of the listed stocks advanced, while 49 retreated.

The best-performing stock was Maharah Human Resources Co., with its share price surging by 7.26 percent to SR6.50.

Other top performers included Arabian Cement Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.27 percent to SR22.71, and Saudi Research and Media Group, which saw a 4.3 percent increase to SR104.30.

On the downside, the worst performer of the day was Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co., whose share price fell by 8.01 percent to SR207.80.

Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology and Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 5.61 percent and 4.46 percent to SR12.79 and SR75, respectively.

On the announcement front, Etihad Etisalat Co. announced its financial results for 2025 with a 7.9 percent year-on-year growth in its revenues, to reach SR19.6 billion.

In a Tadawul statement, Mobily said that this growth is attributed to “the expansion of all revenue streams, with a healthy growth in the overall subscriber base.”

Mobily delivered an 11.6 percent increase in net profit, reaching SR3.4 billion in 2025 compared to SR3.1 billion in 2024.

The company’s share price reached SR67.85, marking a 0.37 percent increase on the main market.