Microsoft says it respects European regulations as U.S. ramps up industry tensions with EU

Microsoft President Brad Smith says the U.S. tech large is dedicated to respecting European regulations — even supposing it would possibly not at all times trust them.

“Like every citizen and company, we don’t always agree with every policy of every government. But even when we’ve lost cases in European courts, Microsoft has long respected and complied with European laws,” Smith stated in a weblog put up Wednesday.

Smith’s feedback are a part of a allure offensive Microsoft is making in Europe this week, after tensions between the United States and European Union ratcheted up in fresh weeks over U.S. President Donald Trump’s price lists.

Trump’s industry conflict with U.S. buying and selling companions — together with the European Union, China and others — has raised fears that the EU may just use its regulatory crackdown on America’s era giants as a device to counter industry restrictions.

The EU has for years been looking to tame U.S. Big Tech companies over festival problems. The bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which changed into enforceable final yr, goals to take on the marketplace energy of enormous so-called “gatekeeper” companies equivalent to Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft.

Last week, the European Commission — the manager frame of the EU — fined Apple 500 million euros ($568.5 million) and Meta 200 million euros ($227.4 million) for DMA breaches.

“We understand that European laws apply to our business practices in Europe, just as local laws apply to local practices in the United States and similar laws apply elsewhere in the world. This includes European competition law and the Digital Markets Act, among others,” Smith stated Wednesday.

“We’re committed not only to building digital infrastructure for Europe, but to respecting the role that laws across Europe play in regulating our products and services.”

Trump has prior to now cited the EU’s regulatory movements towards America’s tech giants as a explanation why to hit the bloc with price lists. In February, he threatened the bloc with tasks to take on “overseas extortion” of U.S. tech companies thru virtual taxes and fines.