Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump sharply criticized the European Union on Friday for imposing a $3.47 billion antitrust fine on Google, calling the decision “unfair” and threatening retaliatory tariffs if Brussels does not roll it back.
The rebuke came less than 24 hours after Trump hosted a White House dinner with leading figures from the tech industry, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and co-founder Sergey Brin.
“Europe today ‘hit’ another great American company, Google, with a $3.5 billion dollar fine, effectively taking money that would otherwise go to American investments and jobs,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Very unfair, and the American taxpayer will not stand for it!”
The US president also pointed to previous EU actions against American tech firms, recalling the 2016 decision ordering Apple to pay Ireland €13 billion in back taxes.
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The European Commission on Thursday had announced the penalty, accusing Google of abusing its dominance in digital advertising to favor its own services. “Google abused its dominant position in adtech, harming publishers, advertisers, and consumers. This behavior is illegal under EU antitrust rules,” said EU competition chief Teresa Ribera.
Google rejected the charges and confirmed it will appeal the ruling. The company has 60 days to outline compliance measures, and officials in Brussels warned that structural remedies, including potentially selling part of Google’s advertising business, might be necessary if the company fails to address the conflicts of interest.
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Trump, meanwhile, hinted that Washington could strike back by targeting Europe’s digital market rules and content regulations, which he argues unfairly burden US companies. The standoff adds to broader trade tensions, with the EU still awaiting American follow-through on a July deal to reduce tariffs on cars.
