French Finance Minister Suggests EU Could Target US Big Tech’s Data Use Amid Donald Trump’s Tariffs
In a move to counter the tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump, French finance minister Eric Lombard has suggested that the European Union could target the data use of American big tech groups, among other measures.
The European Union’s response to the massive tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump may go beyond tariffs, French Finance Minister Eric Lombard said on April 4, 2025. In an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Lombard pointed out that the EU had several tools at its disposal to respond to the tariffs.
According to Lombard, EU rules allow for taxes on certain American activities, with all options remaining open and under discussion. He didn’t give any details on how data usage by big tech groups could be strengthened. Data collection and processing are already regulated by EU rules like the General Data Protection Rules (GDPR).
The European response to US tariffs should "inevitably" have "consequences" for both the continent’s and US companies. It is not a question of taxing all American imports, that would be counterproductive, penalizing our economy as much as theirs. So we are going to target certain industrial segments, in a precise manner," he told the newspaper.
Donald Trump’s Tariff Measures on EU
US President Donald Trump announced last Wednesday broad tariffs on imports into the US from several countries in the world, including the EU. He called the announcement ‘Liberation Day’, which, according to him, would ‘make America rich again’.
Specifically, imports from the European Union would attract 20% duties in the United States. It is worth noting that the bloc is the US’s largest trading partner.
The EU has vowed to retaliate with countermeasures if needed, including with its own tariffs, taxing services, and targeting American tech firms.
Key Highlights:
- France’s Finance Minister Eric Lombard suggests targeting the data use of American big tech groups as a response to US tariffs
- EU rules allow for taxes on certain American activities, with all options remaining open and under discussion
- Data collection and processing are already regulated by EU rules like the General Data Protection Rules (GDPR)
- The European response to US tariffs should have "consequences" for both the continent’s and US companies
Keywords: EU, US, tariffs, data use, big tech, Eric Lombard, General Data Protection Rules (GDPR), Donald Trump, Liberation Day, trade war, trade tensions.
Hashtags: #EU #US #Tariffs #DataUse #BigTech #EricLombard #GDPR #DonaldTrump #LiberationDay #TradeWar #TradeTensions
