Joel Kaplan, Meta’s global policy director, recently stated that the company “won’t shy away” from raising its concerns with President Donald Trump if the European Union (EU) enforces digital regulations that Meta perceives as unfairly targeting its products. Kaplan made these remarks at the Munich Security Conference, emphasizing that Meta would highlight instances of perceived discrimination to the U.S. government. This stance aligns with the broader strategy of leveraging the Trump administration’s America-first policies to counter EU regulatory actions against U.S. tech companies.
Meta has faced significant scrutiny and penalties from the EU under laws like the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These include fines exceeding €2 billion for antitrust and data protection violations, as well as investigations under the Digital Services Act for potentially failing to protect minors. The company has also resisted signing onto EU initiatives like a voluntary code of conduct for advanced AI models, citing concerns about overregulation.
Kaplan criticized the EU’s regulatory approach, describing it as discriminatory and economically harmful, arguing that it places Europe at a “tremendous disadvantage” in global digital competitiveness. He also pointed out that Meta aims to comply with EU laws but will push back against measures it views as unjust213. President Trump has previously expressed opposition to EU fines on U.S. tech firms, calling them a “form of taxation,” which suggests potential alignment between Meta’s advocacy and Trump’s trade agenda.
This development reflects ongoing tensions between U.S. tech giants and European regulators, with Meta positioning itself to challenge what it sees as excessive or targeted enforcement through diplomatic channels.