The head of the Trump antitrust agency explodes the digital rules of the EU as “ taxes on American companies ” – Politico

The EU digital market law, which entered into force in 2022, aims to guarantee that the largest technological companies do not make small rivals. The European Commission is expected to amend the American companies Apple and Meta, which has Facebook, in the coming days for having allegedly violated the rules of the DMA.

Although these fines are not technically tariff, they are considered to be such by the White House. Trump must announce radical “reciprocal” prices on the EU and in other countries later Wednesday in a set of measures which he described as a “liberation day”.

“The fines under DMA are not linked to the company led by the company in Europe,” said Ferguson, appointed by Trump. “It is starting to look like DMA is a bit like a form of taxation of American companies.” To fall into the category of what the European Commission calls a “goalkeeper” and therefore be captured by the DMA rules, digital platforms must meet certain income and user number criteria in the EU.

Ferguson’s words echo a note published last month by Trump, in which he said that the DMA would face a meticulous examination and could lead to reciprocal prices. The United States should also target EU regulations which it consider as non-tariff barriers, including DMA.

Questions about “regular procedure”

The president of the FTC also asked if the EU should have the responsibility to discipline American companies. “If we think that Americans suffer from anti -competitive driving at home, we have to remedy it here at home,” said Ferguson. “I don’t want Europeans to do it for us.”

The FTC oversees the antitrust application with the Ministry of Justice. Ferguson was expressed during the Little Tech Competition Summit organized by the Startup Catalyzer y Combinator.