-(4)-1731951738-q80.webp){kind=small}
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called on President-elect Donald Trump to intervene and prevent the European Union from imposing hefty fines on American tech companies for antitrust violations and other legal breaches.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Zuckerberg criticized the EU’s actions, likening their penalties to tariffs targeting U.S. industry.
“It’s a strategic advantage for the United States that we have some of the strongest companies in the world, and defending that should be part of the U.S. strategy,” Zuckerberg stated. He expressed optimism about Trump’s leadership, adding, “I think he just wants America to win.”
Zuckerberg highlighted that the EU has fined U.S. tech firms over $30 billion in the past two decades. In November, Meta was fined €797 million for violating EU antitrust rules by imposing unfair conditions on advertising service providers.
The Meta chief argued that the European Commission’s enforcement of competition rules unfairly targets American companies, describing it as “almost like a tariff.” He criticized the outgoing Biden administration for failing to address the issue.
“If another country targeted an industry we cared about, the U.S. government would pressure them. Here, it’s the opposite. The U.S. government led attacks on our companies, enabling the EU to act freely against them,” he said.
Zuckerberg’s comments came days after Meta announced it would end its third-party fact-checking program, shifting to a community notes model. This move, seen as an attempt to align with the incoming Trump administration, follows criticism of the company’s moderation policies as biased censorship.
Additionally, Meta announced plans to terminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, citing a shift in the “legal and policy landscape.”
Zuckerberg’s statements and policy shifts signal an effort to position Meta favorably under the new administration while addressing longstanding tensions with the EU over regulatory policies.
