According to data released today by Proton — and as noted by techradar — Apple, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon amassed US $7.8 billion in fines for privacy and competition violations in 2025. Yet, they could pay off this entire debt in just 28 days.
While the $7.8 billion figure sounds astronomical to the average consumer, Proton warns that it represents a negligible fraction of these companies’ wealth, raising serious questions about whether current regulations are fit for purpose.
When measured against the “free cash flow” of these tech titans, a metric that subtracts unavoidable expenses from revenue, the Proton’s data shows that it would take just “28 days and 48 minutes to pay off the fines if they were all paid off concurrently.”
“For users concerned about their digital privacy, the report paints a worrying picture: despite the headlines, the cost of breaking the rules appears to be little more than a line item in a corporate budget,” says techradar.
Proton says Meta was fined $228 million in total, Apple $851 million, Amazon $2.5 billion, and Google l$4.24 billion.
I hope you’ll help support Apple World Today by becoming a patron. Almost all our income is from Patreon support and sponsored posts. Patreon pricing ranges from $2 to $10 a month. Thanks in advance for your support.
