EU Fines Google €3 Billion in Adtech Clampdown, Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs

The European Union has levied a €3 billion penalty against Google for alleged anti-competitive practices in digital advertising, marking one of Brussels' largest single-company fines. The ruling targets Google's dominance in adtech, accusing it of steering clients toward its own exchange—a move regulators claim distorts market fairness. This brings Google's total EU penalties to nearly €10 billion following prior rulings on Android and shopping services.

Industry groups like the European Publishers Council praised the decision but cautioned that fines alone won't dismantle Google's market control. The company plans to appeal, arguing that compliance WOULD harm European businesses reliant on its tools.

In Washington, former President Donald TRUMP condemned the fine as "very unfair" and hinted at a Section 301 trade investigation, mirroring past actions against Brazil. The issue reportedly arose during a White House dinner with tech CEOs including Alphabet's Sundar Pichai and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg.