- US tech companies hit with “unreasonable” fines throughout 2025
- Technical regulation is changing in Europe and the US
- Trump’s administration has threatened to retaliate
2025 proved to be a tough year for transatlantic relations, with Trump taking office in the US and a renewed focus on tech regulation across the EU, raising tensions between two global superpowers.
Shifts in how crypto, AI and data protection regulations have been handled in the EU led to more Big Tech fines being handed out, with Trump claiming Europe has targeted US firms in its antitrust investigations.
But the US has not been without its own upheaval, with increasing conflict over whether AI regulation should be handled at the state or federal level emerging in the final weeks of 2025.
The technology battle between the US and the EU may continue
Widely regarded as a global leader in digital regulation, 2025 was the year the EU signaled an intention to change and/or simplify some data protection rules to promote AI development.
In line with its intention to become an AI superpower, Europe spent the year hitting US companies such as Google, Apple and Microsoft with large fines, which have not gone unnoticed by Trump.
As such, the US in December threatened new fees and market barriers over what it described as “discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines and directives against US service providers.”
“If the EU and EU member states insist on continuing to restrict, limit and discourage the competitiveness of US service providers through discriminatory means, the US will have no choice but to begin using all the tools at its disposal to counter these unfair measures,” the US Trade Representative’s office shared in an X filing.
The trade representative went so far as to name specific European companies that have “enjoyed [the] expansive market access”, i.e. USA, including Accenture, Capgemini, DHL, Mistral, SAP, Siemens and Spotify.
The US has imposed travel restrictions on certain EU figures, including former Commissioner Thierry Breton, in what has been seen as a form of retaliation.
“Our digital rules ensure a safe, fair and level playing field for all businesses, applied fairly and without discrimination,” the Commission wrote.
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