Trump stands up for Google and threatens EU with response

On his Truth Social account, Trump called the decision “very unfair” and said his administration would not allow what he described as discriminatory actions to stand.

He added that he would launch a Section 301 investigation to overturn what he called unfair penalties imposed on American companies that pay taxes.

“We cannot let this happen to brilliant and unprecedented American Ingenuity and, if it does, I will be forced to start a Section 301 proceeding to nullify the unfair penalties being charged to these Taxpaying American Companies. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump said in his post.

Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the US to act against unfair foreign trade practices. Investigations may be launched if trade rights are denied or if foreign policies “burden or restrict” US commerce, broadly defined to include goods, services, and investment.

He later added another post, noting that Google had previously paid 13 billion dollars in what he called false claims and charges, bringing the total to 16.5 billion dollars. Trump wrote that the European Union must stop this practice against American companies immediately.

The European Commission said the investigation found that Google abused its dominance by favoring its own advertising technology services at the expense of competitors, advertisers, and publishers.

The probe focused on Google’s AdX exchange and its DFP advertising platform, which connect advertisers seeking to promote their products with publishers selling ad space on their websites.

This is the fourth time Brussels has imposed a multibillion euro fine on Google in an antitrust case that has been underway since 2017.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that the European Commission fined Google at €2.95 billion.