Confronting EU for discriminating against US tech is ‘justified,’ observer says

Audio By Carbonatix

(The Center Square) – Amid President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 301 investigation into the European Union, analysts who monitor international policies that affect the U.S. say standing up to the Union for trade “protectionist policies” that target and disadvantage American tech companies is “justified” especially as hindering American companies causes more reliance on China. 

“The Trump administration has been firm in standing up for U.S. trade interests and should continue to use every available tool to end this European protection racket of its domestic tech and telecom companies,” Baker said.

“The EU’s Digital Markets Act is yet another example of our allies acting against our shared interest, which inevitably gives Chinese firms competitive advantage,” Baker said.

Baker told The Center Square that “American leaders are united in a simple message: protectionist policies disguised as regulation will not go unanswered.” 

The Digital Markets Act is an EU law that claims to “make the markets in the digital sector fairer and more contestable” by establishing “a set of clearly defined objective criteria to identify ‘gatekeepers.’”

Gatekeepers are described as “large digital platforms providing so called core platform services, such as online search engines, app stores, messenger services.”

Some companies listed as gatekeepers by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) include Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft – almost all of which are American based.

Recently, Google was fined nearly $1 billion for alleged breaches of the DMA, an action that Ambassador Jamieson Greer described as “an increasingly aggressive approach targeting U.S. technology firms.”

As stated by Trump, the European Union also “fined Apple, for no reason at all, 15 Billion Dollars, Meta, 3 Billion Dollars, Amazon 2.5 Billion Dollars, and many others.”

“The European Union is at it again and, as usual, taking direct aim at GREAT American Companies!” Trump said in reference to Google’s fine.  

“This illegal and highly discriminatory practice started at these high levels during the first year of the Sleepy Joe Biden Administration, but it’s not going to continue during the Trump Administration,” Trump said.  

“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that we will immediately initiate a 301 Investigation into the practice of ‘ROBBING’ American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer,” Trump said. 

Shortly before Trump’s announcement, lawmakers sent a letter to Trump urging him to “consider Section 301 trade investigations and possible tariffs against the EU,” as reported by Reuters.

When the White House Press Office was reached, it referred The Center Square to Greer’s statement. 

Founder and CEO of State Armor Michael Lucci told The Center Square that “Europe continues to burden American technology companies through discriminatory digital regulations while failing to fully eliminate high-risk Chinese telecommunications equipment.”

Lucci said that this creates “opportunities for Chinese competitors to expand their foothold.”

“That divergence will inevitably complicate intelligence sharing, weaken transatlantic technology cooperation, and reduce business opportunities between countries that should be strengthening their alliance,” Lucci said.

“The Trump Administration would be justified in responding forcefully to European policies that disadvantage trusted American companies while making Europe more dependent on Chinese technology,” Lucci said. 

State Armor is an organization that helps states “enact solutions to global security threats.”