Brussels pointed high again: a fine of 2,950 million euros to Google for its advertising business. The European Commission did nothing but reinforce its firm regulator profile in a sector that has been under its magnifying glass for years. On the other side of the Atlantic, The reaction seemed sung. The president had made clear that I saw these sanctions as a direct attack on American companies. That same day he fulfilled his promise: he raised the tone and turned the European file into a issue of political and economic tension.
Trump chose an unusual way to answer: threatened to start an investigation under section 301, A reserved mechanism to serious commercial disputes that can lead to tariffs. It was not just criticizing Brussels, but making it clear that the White House was willing to climb the conflict. It is an online threat with a commercial policy marked by unexpected turns, and although it remains to be seen, the message has not gone unnoticed.
The Google case becomes another front in the tense transatlantic relationships
The Brussels fine It did not arise from one day to another. The European Commission has been investigating Google since 2021 for possible dominant position abuses in the digital advertising sector. The file concludes that the company favored his own ads ecosystemfrom its Doubleck server to its ADX exchange, relegating competitors and hindering the access of editors and advertisers to other platforms. The regulator gave the company 60 days to present a compliance plan and warned that, if not convincing, the option of demanding structural measures is reserved.
For Teresa RiberaExecutive Vice President for a clean, fair and competitive transition in the European Commission, the file against Google reflects Brussels’s commitment to a more open advertising market. The curator defended the fine and warned that the company must present a convincing solution if it does not want to face more severe measures.
“Today’s decision shows that Google abused his dominant position in advertising technology harming editors, advertisers and consumers. This behavior is illegal according to the EU antitrust standards. Google must now present a serious remedy to address their conflicts of interest, and if it does not, We will not hesitate to impose solid remedies. ”
Google’s reaction soon arrived. Technology rejected the Brussels ruling and announced that it will resort to European courts. The message was transmitted by Lee-Anne Mulholland, Vice President and Global Chief of Regulatory Affairs.
“The European Commission’s decision on our advertising technology services It is wrong and we will resort to it. It imposes an unjustified fine and demands changes that will harm thousands of European companies, since it will be more difficult to obtain benefits. There is nothing anticompetitive in providing services to buyers and advertising sellers, and there are more alternatives to our services than ever. ”
The sanction announced by Brussels adds to three other fines imposed on Google in recent years: 2,420 million in 2017, 4.3 billion euros in 2018 and 1,490 million in 2019 (The latter finally annulled). All are part of a reinforced surveillance strategy on large digital platforms. The trial on possible remedies will begin on September 22, 2025.
The United States has no legal capacity to directly reverse a sanction issued by a foreign regulator. American companies operating outside their borders must comply with local standards, and refuse to pay a fine would be a risky movement that could lead to blockages, new sanctions or even its exclusion from the market. The case of Google is registered precisely in that context: a global company subject to the rules of the European Union.
As we say, what Trump proposes is to resort to section 301, a tool of US commercial legislation that allows us to open research on foreign policies considered discriminatory. Through this procedure, Washington can impose tariffs, fees or other commercial measures. It is a diplomatic and economic route that does not erase the European fine, but sends a signal and increases the tension.
Trump accompanied his warning with an extensive message in Truth Social in which he insisted that Europe is attacking the technology companies of the United States and that the White House will not allow these measures to be answered. Its publication combined criticism of the European Union with a specific example: the fine of 17,000 million dollars that Apple had to pay in the past.
“As I said, my administration will not allow these discriminatory actions to remain. Apple, for example, was forced to pay a fine of 17,000 million dollars that, in my opinion, should not have been applied. They should recover their money! We cannot allow this to happen to the brilliant and unheard of US creativity and, if it happens, I will be forced to initiate a procedure of section 301 to annul imposed on these contributing US companies. ”
The pulse for the fine to Google occurs when Brussels and Washington They try to consolidate a more stable commercial framework. Trump’s warning adds pressure. If the investigation under section 301 thrives, could unleash a new stage of commercial tensions between both blocks.
The next steps draw an uncertain scenario. Brussels will examine Google’s proposals to correct the conflicts of interest detected and does not rule out demanding drastic changes, including a partial divestment of your advertising business. The company, on the other hand, already prepares its resource and anticipates a long legal battle. To this panorama is added the threat of Washington: start section 301.
Images | The White House | Pascal Bullan | Greg Bulla
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