Trump Slams EU’s $3.5 Billion Fine on Google, Threatens Trade Action Over ‘Discriminatory’ Tech Penalties
U.S. President Donald Trump has denounced a €2.95 billion (~$3.5 billion) fine imposed on Google by the European Commission. He has called it an attack on American innovation and threatening retaliatory trade action under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act.
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The decision follows a four-year investigation launched in 2021 into Google's ad business practices, which the EU claims have harmed competition, raised costs for advertisers and publishers, and potentially pushed up prices for consumers.
“This is very unfair, and the American taxpayer will not stand for it,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
He accused the EU of systematically targeting American technology companies through fines and regulations, citing the earlier $17 billion fine against Apple as another example of what he called “discriminatory actions.”
Trump warned that if the EU does not reverse course, his administration would initiate Section 301 proceedings -- a legal mechanism that allows the U.S. to impose trade penalties in response to unfair foreign practices.
In its formal announcement, the European Commission gave Google 60 days to submit a plan to stop its alleged anticompetitive behavior.
Failure to do so could result in further remedies, including the forced divestiture of parts of its advertising business.
The Commission’s case centers on Google's control of multiple layers of the digital advertising supply chain, from ad-buying tools to ad exchanges and publisher services -- a structure regulators say gives the company unfair leverage over competitors.
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 5, 2025
In an emailed statement, cited by The Verge, Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s vice president and global head of regulatory affairs, rejected the ruling and confirmed that the company 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,” she said.
The European action mirrors a similar effort underway in the United States, where the U.S. Department of Justice has asked a federal judge to break up Google’s ad tech operations, citing violations of antitrust law.
Trump’s remarks come just days after a high-profile White House AI summit, where top U.S. tech leaders praised the administration’s support for innovation and infrastructure.
Friday’s post marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric, signaling that transatlantic digital trade tensions could intensify further.
Whether the administration will proceed with Section 301 measures remains to be seen, but Trump made clear he is prepared to act. “We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American ingenuity,” he said.