Microsoft reaffirms commitment to respect European laws amid rising U.S.-EU trade tensions

Microsoft President Brad Smith emphasized the company’s commitment to respecting European laws in a blog post on April 30, 2025. His statement came as U.S.-EU trade tensions escalated, especially following President Trump’s tariffs on U.S. trade partners. Smith acknowledged that while Microsoft may not always agree with European regulations, the company has always respected and complied with them, even when it lost legal cases in European courts. The timing of his comments coincides with growing concerns that the European Union could use regulatory actions against major U.S. tech companies as a tool to counter the trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. government. The EU has long been critical of the dominance of Big Tech firms, and its Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into effect last year, aims to curb the market power of firms like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon. Microsoft’s reassurances come amid fines imposed on Apple and Meta for violating the DMA. Smith also emphasized the importance of respecting competition law in Europe, calling it crucial to the company’s business operations on the continent. The backdrop to these comments is President Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on the EU, citing digital taxes and fines imposed on U.S. tech companies as an example of ‘overseas extortion.’