France suggests targeting Big Tech's data use in response to US tariffs

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Politico (EU)

April 6, 2025 2:48 pm CET


French Economy and Finance Minister Eric Lombard has suggested striking back against U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs broadside by more strictly regulating U.S. Big Tech's use of data.

"We may strengthen certain administrative requirements or regulate the use of data," Lombard said in an interview with Le Journal Du Dimanche. He added that another option could be to "tax certain activities," without being more specific.

A French government spokesperson already said last week that the EU's retaliation against U.S. tariffs could include “digital services that are currently not taxed." That suggestion was fiercely rejected by Ireland, which hosts the European headquarters of several U.S. Big Tech firms.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has vowed to respond to Trump's trade war. Technology is seen as a possible area for Europe to retaliate. The European Union has a €157 billion trade surplus in goods, which means it exports more than it imports, but it runs a deficit of €109 billion in services, including digital services.

Read more: https://www.politico.eu/article/france-suggest-to-regulate-data-in-response-to-trump-tariffs/

[GoreWon2000]

1. Great idea

to go after tRump's billionaire buddies.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Ehhh, good luck in accurately monitoring who is actually doing the uploads/browsing/downloads

[DFW]

3. Messing with Ursula von der Leyen is probably not a great tactic

She is tough and doesn't give a rat's ass what Trump thinks or wants. The office of EU commissioner used to be considered a ceremonial dumping ground for bureaucrats. The Social Democrats recruited some loser candidate from that position to oppose Merkel in 2016, and the jerk appeared drunk in the election night live interview. Von Der Leyen was sent there because she was just a little too outspoken for the macho domestic German political scene. So the Trumpanzees thought she would be a wet rag, it appears. Instead, she is a titanium wall, and the only reason she is not chancellor now is because she is not one of the old boy network of the CDU, and is probably smarter than all of them combined. So, even though Trumpsk won't have to contend with her as Chancellor, they still will have to content with her as EU comissioner, and their nonsense will be detected by her bullshit detector before it makes it halfway cross the Atlantic.

[wyn borkins]

4. Thank You DFW

For this(your) wealth of knowledge (...'good trouble'...information).

[DFW]

5. Everybody posts from their own perspective

I live in Düsseldorf and am in a different country every day for work, so my perspective may not be typical (if anyone’s perspective can be deemed “typical”—we are a rather diverse group) but like everyone else, I just post from mine. If you find it informative, well, thanks for letting me know! 👍