Google Fined $1 Billion, Trump Outraged at European Union
US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on the European Union (EU) by threatening to impose new import tariffs and launch trade investigations after the European Commission imposed a fine of approximately $1 billion on Google for alleged anti-competitive practices. This move has the potential to trigger a new chapter of trade tensions between Washington and Brussels, amidst efforts by both parties to ease existing trade disputes.
In a social media post on Friday (local time), Trump condemned the EU’s decision to sanction Google and other American technology companies. He characterised the policy as unfair and discriminatory against US-based firms.
“These illegal and highly discriminatory practices began during the Joe Biden administration, but they will not continue during the Trump administration,” Trump wrote. He also asserted that the United States is “not a piggy bank for Europe” and warned that the European Union would “pay a very high price” for such policies.
The European Commission decided the previous day that Google had violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA). Regulators found that the company provided preferential treatment to its own services within search results—including shopping, travel, and various other digital products—thereby hindering competition, as reported by several Western and Middle Eastern media outlets.
Furthermore, Google was found to be restricting app developers from directing users to payment services or offers outside of the Google Play Store. For these two violations, the European Commission split the fine of approximately $1 billion and granted Google 60 days to rectify its business practices. Failure to comply could result in additional fines of up to five per cent of the company’s average daily turnover.
Teresa Ribera, the European Commission Executive Vice-President for competition policy, stated that the decision aims to ensure fair competition.
“Products should win based on their quality, not because the platform owner provides advantages to its own services,” Ribera said.