Google and Apple face fresh EU pressure to play by the rules. Brussels hit both tech giants with warnings about their market dominance, threatening Google with fines while pushing Apple to loosen its grip on iPhones.
Google caught heat for pushing its own services in search results and blocking app developers from offering better deals elsewhere. The EU's antitrust chief Teresa Ribera wants "a culture of compliance" - bureaucrat-speak for "behave or pay up."
Apple must now crack open its precious iPhone ecosystem. The company complained about being "wrapped in red tape" - a predictable response from a firm that guards its walled garden like a dragon hoarding gold.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump watches from across the Atlantic, ready to turn any EU fines into a fresh trade battle. He's already fuming about steel tariffs. Tech fines might just make his head explode.
Brussels shows no signs of backing down. The EU can hit companies with fines up to 10% of global revenue - enough to make even Silicon Valley's richest tech bros break a sweat.
Why this matters:
The EU just turned up the heat in tech's kitchen: Google and Apple must either change their ways or risk billion-dollar fines
Trump's reaction could spark a full-blown trade war, proving once again that in global tech politics, everyone's playing chicken - and nobody wants to swerve first
