The News
The European Court of Justice took aim at both Apple and Google on Tuesday, ruling that the tech giants owe billions in taxes and fines in two key cases.
The court determined Apple owes Ireland $14.3 billion in back taxes while Google was fined almost $3 billion after the court upheld an antitrust ruling claiming the company prioritized its own Google Shopping links during search.
The EU has been trying to rein in the power of Big Tech firms and crack down on behavior it deems anti-competitive — with laws that threaten large fines or even interdicts against companies that don’t comply with their terms.
The US is also taking steps to regulate anti-competitive behavior in tech. The Department of Justice has brought Google to court twice this year already, with cases analyzing the company’s monopoly of online search and its dominance of the online ad business.