“I told you so!” was the President’s take.
US President Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday that a European Commission fine issued to Google was proof that EU leaders have “taken advantage of the US.”
The EU’s Competition Commission hit Google with a $5 billion fine on Wednesday due following an investigation into antitrust abuses relating to Android. The investigation concluded that forcing phone manufacturers to pre-load specific Google apps and services onto Android phones was preventing innovation and denying choice to consumers across Europe.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai published a blog post shortly after the fine was announced on Wednesday detailing the reasons he disagreed with the EU’s decision and the company’s plans to appeal the fine.
The EU frequently holds tech companies that operate within Europe to account, over issues including tax, privacy and antitrust, but Trump is interpreting this particular fine as a slight against the US.
“The European Union just slapped a Five Billion Dollar fine on one of our great companies, Google,” he said. “They truly have taken advantage of the US, but not for long!”
Earlier this week, Trump accused the EU of being a “foe” of the US following a NATO summit and a trip to the UK. He used the example of the fine to hammer home the point. “I told you so!” he tweeted.
A spokeswoman European Competition Commission declined to comment for this story.
Representatives for Google didn’t immediately respond to request for comment.
