Trump criticizes the EU for targeting American tech companies like Apple and Google

Trump criticized the European Union's regulatory bodies at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, for targeting Apple (AAPL.O), Google (GOOG.O) and Meta (META.O), claiming that the EU's allegations against American companies are "a form of taxation". The EU is globally renowned for its strict regulation of large tech companies, often clashing with major social media platforms like Facebook and X over content review, and having conflicts with companies like Apple and Google on antitrust issues.

"Whether you like it or not, these are American companies," Trump said during his speech at the Davos World Economic Forum. "They shouldn't be doing this. In my view, this is a form of taxation. We have great dissatisfaction with the EU." Trump specifically mentioned Apple losing a lawsuit involving a 13 billion euro Irish tax bill in an EU court last year.