US President Donald Trump threatened retaliation after the European Commission fined Google 2.95 billion euros for misusing its dominant position in the advertising technology industry.
In a post about the True Society, Trump called the fine “very unfair” and added that he “the administration will not allow these discriminatory actions to endure.”
Trump also wrote that he would be forced to commence the Section 301 process to override the unfair penalties accused of these tax-paying American businesses.”
Under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the United States may impose penalties on foreign countries whose actions are deemed “unjust” or “irrational.”
“I’m going to talk to the European Union,” Trump told White House reporters on Friday.
The committee said it found Google “abused its power” by endorsing its own online display ad technology service to undermine its competitors, online advertisers and publishers.
This research focuses on Google’s ADX Exchange and the DFP AD platform. This works with advertisers who want to sell their products, and online publishers who want to sell commercial spaces on their websites.
Brussels approved Google’s sanctions with a multi-billion euro fine in antitrust law in a broader battle with regulators dating back to 2017.
The European Publishers Council calls for even more strict measures
Google will take 60 days to devise the proposed remedy.
“At this stage, the only way Google can effectively end conflicts of interest is through structural remedies, such as selling a portion of its AdTech business,” said Teresa Ribera, EU Competitive Commissioner.
Google vowed to appeal the decision it said was “wrong.”
It comes amid new tensions over trade, tariffs and technical regulations between Brussels and Washington.
The committee’s move was sparked by complaints from the Council of European Publishers.
“The fine will not fix AdTech’s Google abuse,” its executive director Angela Mills Wade said in sought a farewell order.
EU officials have previously said they are seeking forced sales as past cases where Google ended with fines and requirements to halt anti-competitive practices have not been working and the company is able to continue to act differently.
“Europe has created a key position in today’s rule of law by pushing for this first stage fine in the face of Trump and Big Tech bullying,” said Cori Crider, a future senior fellow at the Technology Institute think tank.
But “only division fixes Google’s monopoly,” said Crider, professor emeritus at UCL Laws. “If a European enforcer ultimately says goodbye, Google will fine him as a victory.”
The EU fines are huge, but for Google it’s a pocket change, earning 24 billion euros in the second quarter.
Google avoids breaking up earlier this week in the US. A US federal judge has been fired on another front after an online search determined that there was an illegal monopoly. On Tuesday, a judge ordered search engine reforms but rejected the government’s attempt to force the sale of Chrome browsers.
Additional sources •AP
