Tech Report: Apple fined in Italy as tech giants face growing legal and market pressure

Apple has been fined more than 116 million dollars by Italy’s antitrust regulator over what officials call excessively burdensome privacy rules imposed on third-party app developers.

(LILAMAX)- Apple has been fined more than 116 million dollars by Italy’s antitrust regulator over what officials call excessively burdensome privacy rules imposed on third-party app developers.

Italy’s Competition Authority says Apple abused its dominant position in the App Store market by forcing developers to comply with disproportionate data collection requirements that go beyond existing privacy laws.

The fine follows a similar action in France, where Apple was penalized 162.4 million dollars in March by the country’s competition watchdog over related concerns.

Meanwhile, several prominent journalists and authors are suing major technology companies, including OpenAI and Meta, over alleged copyright infringement.

New York Times reporter John Carreyrou, former Wall Street Journal reporter Philip Shishkin, and three other writers claim the companies illegally used their work to help train artificial intelligence language models.

Earlier this month, The New York Times itself filed a separate lawsuit against OpenAI, also alleging copyright infringement.

In markets, companies across the United States and Europe are preparing to issue a record amount of high-grade bonds in 2026, testing investor demand as yields continue to drift lower.

Morgan Stanley strategists predict more than two trillion dollars in U.S. investment-grade debt will hit the market next year, driven by artificial intelligence expansion projects, refinancing needs, and acquisition financing.

In streaming, YouTube continues to dominate daytime viewing, creating challenges for traditional media and rival platforms.

According to Nielsen data cited by The New York Times, YouTube averaged 6.3 million viewers at 11 a.m. in October. Netflix drew 2.8 million viewers during that time, while Amazon averaged about one million. Other streaming services, including HBO Max, Paramount Plus, and Peacock, each attracted fewer than 600,000 viewers.