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Trump Blasts EU’s $3.45 Billion Google Fine, Floats Retaliatory Measures

By  |  September 7, 2025

President Donald Trump on Friday escalated tensions with Europe by threatening an investigation into the European Union after it issued a multibillion-dollar fine against Google for antitrust violations. According to CNN, the EU announced that Google would be required to pay €2.95 billion ($3.45 billion) for abusing its dominance in the online advertising market. This marks the fourth penalty levied against the tech giant in the past decade by European regulators.

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    Trump reacted strongly to the news, criticizing the decision in a Truth Social post. He argued that the funds taken from Google “would otherwise go to American Investments and Jobs” and described the EU’s actions as “very unfair.” Per CNN, Trump also signaled that his administration could launch a Section 301 investigation, a move that could pave the way for retaliatory tariffs against European goods. Such an action could strain the fragile trade framework agreed upon between Washington and Brussels earlier this year.

    The European Commission’s ruling followed a complaint from the European Publishers Council, alleging that Google gave undue preference to its own display advertising services. Regulators concluded that the company had abused its market power since 2014 and ordered it to stop self-preferencing practices. Google now has 60 days to present its compliance plan, with the Commission warning that stronger remedies, including divestment, could follow if the company fails to adequately address concerns.

    Related: EU Hits Google With €2.95 Billion Fine Over Adtech Practices

    European officials framed the decision as an effort to restore fairness to digital markets. “Digital markets exist to serve people and must be grounded in trust and fairness. And when markets fail, public institutions must act to prevent dominant players from abusing their power,” EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera said in a statement.

    Google pushed back sharply, vowing to appeal the fine. Lee-Anne Mulholland, the company’s Vice President and Global Head of Regulatory Affairs, called the ruling “wrong” and argued that the remedies “will hurt thousands of European businesses by making it harder for them to make money.”

    According to CNN, the latest fine adds to a series of steep penalties already imposed on the company in Europe: a record €4.3 billion penalty in 2018, €2.42 billion in 2017, and €1.49 billion in 2019. Trump, meanwhile, emphasized in follow-up posts that Google had already faced over $16 billion in fines and charges, demanding that the EU halt what he characterized as unfair treatment of American tech firms.

    Source: CNN