Sara FischerAdd Axios as your preferred source tosee more of our stories on Google.Data: Axios research; Note: Google's 2018 fine was reduced from around $5.07 billion to $4.81 billion by the EU General Court in 2022; Google's 2017 fine was upheld by EU General Court in 2021. Amazon's 2021 fine was reduced from ~$1.3 billion to around $878 million following court proceedings. Meta's settlement of up to $17.1 billion is pending court approval and is partially contigent on whether other Big Tech platforms join its settlement. Non-USD amounts converted at Aug. 26, 2026 exchange rates.; Table: Sara Fischer/AxiosMeta's historic settlement with 51 U.S. state and territory attorneys general represents one of the largest government penalties ever levied on a Big Tech firm anywhere.Why it matters: For the first time, U.S. officials — at least at the state level —have proven they are as serious about policing Big Tech as their European counterparts.The big picture: For years, European regulators have used heavy fines to penalize tech companies. This was a settlement rather than a fine, but the impact remains the same. Meta was eager to settle this case, in part because a jury verdict could've resulted in significantly higher penalties, upwards of $1.4 trillion. Stunning stat: European fines against American tech companies have totaled well over $15 billion over the past decade.The Meta settlement eclipses all of those combined.