Trump Administration Threatens Retaliation Over EU's DMA and DSA Enforcement Against U.S. Tech

[MacRumors]

The Trump administration is pressuring the European Union to cut down on regulations that impact tech companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative today posted a message to the European Union on social media, threatening retaliation if the EU continues to target U.S. companies. The post says the U.S. will implement fees and restrictions on foreign services, and it specifically names European companies like Accenture, DHL, Mistral, SAP, Spotify, and Siemens.

The European Union and certain EU Member States have persisted in a continuing course of discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines, and directives against U.S. service providers. U.S. services companies provide substantial free services to EU citizens and reliable enterprise services to EU companies, and they support millions of jobs and more than $100 billion in direct investment in Europe. The United States has raised concerns with the EU for years on these matters without meaningful engagement or basic acknowledgement of U.S. concerns.

If the EU and EU Member States insist on continuing to restrict, limit, and deter the competitiveness of U.S. service providers through discriminatory means, the United States will have no choice but to begin using every tool at its disposal to counter these unreasonable measures. Should responsive measures be necessary, U.S. law permits the assessment of fees or restrictions on foreign services, among other actions. The United States will take a similar approach to other countries that pursue an EU-style strategy in this area.

The EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) have forced Apple and other tech companies to make major changes to their services in the European Union, and several companies have faced fines. Earlier this year, Apple was fined 500 million euros and Meta was fined 200 million euros. Just this month, social network X was fined 120 million euros for DSA violations, and in September, Google was fined 2.95 billion euros for antitrust violations related to its adtech business.

Separately, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a hearing today on the threat that "discriminatory foreign regulations" modeled after the Digital Markets Act pose to American innovation and competition. Witnesses included Competere Ltd. CEO Shanker Singham, Notre Dame Law professor Roger Alford, George Washington Competition and Innovation Lab Founding Director Aurelien Portuese, and Dirk Auer, Director of Competition Policy for the International Center for Law and Economics.

During the hearing, Representative Scott Fitzgerald said the DMA isn't aimed at protecting consumers, but hobbling American companies.

The DMA does not ask whether consumers have been harmed. It does not even ask whether a business has done anything wrong. It asks whether a company is large, successful, and, most importantly, American. If the answer is yes, the rules suddenly change. Common business practices are banned, innovation is treated as a threat, and foreign rivals are handed access to data and technology they could never build or earn on their own. That is not competition policy. That's forced redistribution.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association said the DMA is discriminatory because it only applies to select companies, while NetChoice said the EU has "provided countries around the world with a blueprint" for similar regulatory measures.

Unlike traditional antitrust and competition laws that apply to all companies, however, these DMA prohibitions apply only to designated companies, creating discriminatory treatment between designated and non-designated companies, where undesignated foreign rivals gain an unfair competitive advantage over designated American companies.

President Donald Trump has previously criticized the "very unfair" European Union for fines levied on Apple and Google. In September, he threatened the EU with higher tariffs, which would disrupt trade framework established in July 2025. Trump said Apple should "get their money back" and that the U.S. "cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity."

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Article Link: Trump Administration Threatens Retaliation Over EU's DMA and DSA Enforcement Against U.S. Tech

 

[jz0309]

This does not come as a surprise ...

 

[Naraxus]

Good. I'm glad we have a President with a spine who will actually stand up for American companies rather than one who will capitulate, bend over and do nothing for them.

 

[ELman]

The EU needs to find a new revenue source.

 

[breenmask]

But I was told USA gov was going to start opening up the iOS platform to follow EU DMA suit.

Where are those people now?

 

[mzeb]

Hokay, so, none of these companies are “US Companies” anymore. They are global entities that span far across conventional borders. If you don’t believe that check where they keep their money. Just like when you switch states or counties or cities you are subject to new rules so is it between countries. Multinational companies have to deal with the rules in the place they do business or don’t do business there.

 

[rictus007]

What he’s going to do about it? Force Spotify to work with Siri….Airplay?… like for real without issues.

 

[jz0309]

Good. I'm glad we have a President with a spine who will actually stand up for American companies rather than one who will capitulate, bend over and do nothing for them.

On this topic I agree with Trump...

 

[sinoka56]

then Apple and Google should just leave EU 😂

 

[jz0309]

What he’s going to do about it? Force Spotify to work with Siri….Airplay?… like for real without issues.

No, impose more tariffs for example, pull forces out of Europe, or, or I understand that he pulled the technology agreement with the UL today

 

[jz0309]

The EU needs to find a new revenue source.

Yea, they can't really raise taxes much higher ...

 

[justanotherdave]

Biden should have dealt with this years ago.

Now people will simply say it’s a stupid idea because Trump is President.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

Good. Stop the money grab from these socialist governments

 

[justanotherdave]

What he’s going to do about it? Force Spotify to work with Siri….Airplay?… like for real without issues.

Here’s two to start…

- Force all German automakers to open up their infotainment systems to third party App stores. This also includes CarPlay and Android Auto.
- Force SAP to open up their systems to make them interoperable with competing enterprise solutions.

I mean, if we want to do to them the exact same thing they’re doing to Apple. Only seems fair.

 

[EM2013]

About time someone stands up against the EU.

Just raise the prices for the EU to offset their fines 🤣

 

[nnoble]

It's amusing and gratifying watching the E.U. push back against the thin skinned bully, eye-liner Vance and their ketamine sozzled plaything. The underlying envy of civilised Europe is really getting to them.

 

[@Brett]

I am not for everything that the EU does. But businesses also need to realise they need to obey by the laws of the country they are in. Happy for people to screw Meta over though.

 

[justanotherdave]

Unlike traditional antitrust and competition laws that apply to all companies, however, these DMA prohibitions apply only to designated companies, creating discriminatory treatment between designated and non-designated companies, where undesignated foreign rivals gain an unfair competitive advantage over designated American companies.

Been saying this all along. Laws should target behaviors and be applied equally to all businesses.

By making up arbitrary numbers about company size/revenues or user base they have managed to create a system that targets all the US tech companies while leaving EU companies exempt from the same laws. There are a LOT of multi-billion dollar EU companies that get a free pass.

 

[East India Company]

But but but EU bad, laws are bad, American good

🍿

 

[mansplains]

It's amusing and gratifying watching the E.U. push back against the thin skinned bully, eye-liner Vance and their ketamine sozzled plaything. The underlying envy of civilised Europe is really getting to them.

Far from envious, don’t know what you’re on about

 

[BrightDarkSky]

Good. I'm glad we have a President with a spine who will actually stand up for American companies rather than one who will capitulate, bend over and do nothing for them.

LOL him and his crew are robbing the country blind while these corporates pay them off.

And the uninformed believe he's standing up for Americans... LOLOLOLOLOLOOLOL

Sure he is.

 

[WilliApple]

Good. These laws were unfair for "being American" and now something is finally being done about it. The US provides Europeans with phones, Google, OpenAI, and other devices, and the EU government seem ungrateful for it.

 

[Lyrics23]

Typical child throwing a tantrum over having to follow the rules.

 

[DownUnderDan]

Well I guess now he has permanently screwed the US trade relationship with Canada its time to get things happening with the EU. Some of the comments on here will age like week old milk, when the reality of destroying trade relationships hits your economy and your place in the world. Right now the EU doesn't compete on phones or social media, but if the right side of US politics keeps acting like a five year old child told its bed time, they just might well in the future. The Trump administration has been working a treat at creating jobs in the European defence industry. Not so great if you work at Boeing or Lockheed Martin.

 

[I7guy]

Typical child throwing a tantrum over having to follow the rules.

Rules can be challenged.