US President Donald Trump on Friday criticized the European Union after regulators fined Google €2.95 billion ($3.5 billion) for breaching competition rules. The penalty marks the fourth antitrust fine the tech giant has faced in the EU.
Trump calls fines “very unfair”
Reacting to the development, Trump said Europe had once again “hit another great American company” with massive penalties, calling the move discriminatory against US firms. “This is on top of the many other fines and taxes that have been issued against Google and other American tech companies. Very unfair, and the American taxpayer will not stand for it!” he posted.
Trump warned that if such actions continue, his administration would be “forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these taxpaying American companies.” He also cited Apple’s €17 billion fine in Europe, claiming the company should get its money back.
The EU’s decision
The European Commission, the EU’s top antitrust enforcer, said Google breached competition rules by favoring its own digital advertising services. The regulator ordered the company to stop its “self-preferencing practices” and address conflicts of interest along the advertising technology supply chain.
Google dismissed the ruling as unjustified and confirmed it will appeal. “It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s global head of regulatory affairs.
What’s next
The ruling underscores ongoing tensions between Brussels and Silicon Valley, with EU regulators tightening scrutiny of Big Tech. Trump’s remarks suggest the US may consider retaliatory measures if penalties continue against American companies.
