EU Hits Google with Record €2.95 Billion Antitrust Fine Despite Trump’s Warnings

The European Union has imposed a staggering €2.95 billion ($3.47 billion) fine on Google for allegedly abusing its dominance in the online advertising market. The landmark decision, announced on Friday by the European Commission, accuses the tech giant of giving unlawful preference to its own ad services at the expense of fair competition.

EU Competition Chief Teresa Ribera stated that Google’s practices had “harmed publishers, advertisers, and consumers,” stressing that such conduct violates the bloc’s strict antitrust rules. The fine, the largest levied against the company in Europe to date, underscores the EU’s growing determination to rein in the power of Silicon Valley’s biggest players.

The penalty comes in defiance of repeated warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has cautioned Brussels against targeting American tech firms. Earlier in the week, reports revealed that the EU’s trade chief briefly delayed the decision out of concern over potential U.S. retaliation, exposing internal divisions within the European Commission. Nevertheless, officials ultimately moved forward, citing the need to defend market competition across the 27-member bloc.

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., swiftly rejected the ruling and vowed to appeal. Lee-Anne Mulholland, the company’s global head of regulatory affairs, criticized the Commission’s findings as “wrong” and argued that the changes being demanded would hurt European businesses.

“It imposes an unjustified fine and requires changes that will make it harder for thousands of European companies to generate revenue,” she said. “There’s nothing anticompetitive in offering services to ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives to our platforms today than ever before.”

This latest sanction marks the third major fine against Google in a single week, highlighting the intense regulatory pressure facing the world’s most powerful tech companies. The clash also signals a deepening rift in transatlantic relations, as Europe pursues stricter oversight of Big Tech while Washington pushes back against what it views as unfair treatment of U.S. corporations.