Tech War Between US & EU Ignites: Spotify in Danger After Google, Apple & Meta

A global battle between the United States and the European Union over technology regulation has gotten into what can be called a full on tech war. The main contention of this diplomatic and economic standoff is a big disagreement over how large technology firms should be regulated and whether regulatory frameworks unfairly target US-based companies.

What started as complaints and fines against US giants such as Google, Apple and Meta has now led Washington to threaten reciprocal action against top European tech firms, including Spotify.

What is the US vs EU Tech War?

This is by no means new at all, as the European Union has taken an assertive stance on the regulation of big tech through landmark laws such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). These laws were designed to rein in the market dominance of large digital platforms, promote competition, and protect consumers. However, they have again and again gotten heat from American officials who say that they disproportionately target US firms.

Now, under the DMA, so called 'gatekeeper' companies that meet certain criteria, such as market capitalisation and user base, are subject to stricter rules to prevent anticompetitive behaviour.

So, in 2025, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million (which is approx £430 million) and Meta €200 million (approx £172 million) for apparently breaching these rules. Moreover, regulators found that Apple's App Store practices limited developers' ability to inform customers of alternative offers outside the platform, and that Meta's advertising models did not provide users a real choice over data processing.

Perhaps most contentious was the EU's handling of cases involving firms such as Google, which was fined nearly €3 billion (approx £2.58 billion) for allegedly abusing its ad technology power, and Elon Musk's social media platform, X or Twitter, which received a €120 million (approx £103.2 million) penalty for alleged transparency breaches.

Consequently, US officials have criticised these moves. They say that European regulators focus too much on punitive measures instead of market fairness. In a statement on social media platform X, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) accused the EU and some member states of maintaining a 'course of discriminatory and harassing lawsuits, taxes, fines and directives' against American service providers. These companies, the USTR said, support millions of jobs and more than $100 billion (approx £74.8 billion) in direct investment in Europe, yet face giant regulatory burdens. Here is the post by the USTR:

Furthermore, it is not just a matter of policy disagreement. US lawmakers have also said that stringent EU laws are stifling innovation and destroying competitiveness. Some say that Europe's regulatory environment is inadvertently driving technological development and investment away from the continent and towards more flexible markets, especially in the United States.

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America's Retaliation Threat and the EU's Stand

What has completely changed this massive dispute into what one can call a tech war is the new power move by the US to warn of possible retaliation. This is because in a direct escalation, the USTR reportedly named a series of European companies that could face restrictive measures if the EU continues on its current regulatory plan. Among these were Swedish music streaming giant Spotify, German industrial conglomerate Siemens, Irish consultancy Accenture, Spanish travel technology firm Amadeus, and others as well.

The US threat includes the potential imposition of fees, trade restrictions, lawsuits, or sanctions against these firms. However, the potential punishments are not yet defined in detail, but the warning itself is very shocking. European policymakers have so far at least defended their regulatory style, asserting that their rules are applied fairly and without discrimination. A spokesman for the European Commission emphasised that EU regulations seek to create a level playing field for all companies operating within the union, regardless of origin.