Big Tech: Trump increases pressure on Europe over digital regulations

Written by David Fletcher 29 Aug 2025
Big Tech: Trump increases pressure on Europe over digital regulations

Donald Trump is intensifying pressure on the EU and other nations over digital regulations and taxes which he argues unfairly target American technology companies. Threatening new tariffs and restrictions on exports, he has warned that countries with policies he deems discriminatory will face consequences unless they roll back their measures. At the heart of the dispute are the EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, designed to curb monopolistic practices and require platforms to tackle harmful content, but viewed by Washington as an attack on US firms like Google and Meta. The standoff raises tensions at a delicate stage in transatlantic trade talks, with many issues unresolved despite a preliminary agreement. Analysts caution that Europe is unlikely to reverse rules which represent long-sought goals of digital sovereignty, while Trump’s negotiating tactic is seen as ‘keep on pushing, keep on demanding: nothing is ever fully agreed upon.’

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