Donald Trump has vowed to slash regulation at home and fight European digital rules abroad, but his administration is doubling down on efforts to break up America’s largest technology companies, according to reporting by the Financial Times.
The Department of Justice is pursuing antitrust cases against Google, Apple, Amazon and Meta, even after a federal judge this week rejected its most aggressive remedy — breaking up Google by forcing the sale of its Chrome browser. The case, the most high-profile monopoly trial in 25 years, was initially launched during Trump’s first term.
“We’re not done,” Gail Slater, the DoJ’s new antitrust chief, said following Tuesday’s ruling. “This case is historic.” Slater was nominated by Trump in December with a mandate to rein in Big Tech, which he accused of “stifling competition in our most innovative sector.”
Vice-President JD Vance echoed that stance last year, telling the Financial Times that Google should be broken up. The administration’s position marks a rare area of continuity with Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, who also championed tougher antitrust enforcement.
The court’s ruling, which imposed restrictions on Google’s distribution deals and data practices but fell short of structural remedies, was welcomed by Wall Street. Still, analysts warned that the administration’s relentless pursuit of Big Tech signals ongoing risks for the sector. “The risk that tariffs go away but the [antitrust cases] stay may become the dominant risk for [tech stocks],” said Nicholas Rodelli of Washington Analysis.
At the same time, tech executives have courted Trump through high-profile meetings and donations. Apple’s Tim Cook recently secured a tariff reprieve during an Oval Office visit, pledging $100bn in new US investment. Yet Apple remains the target of a DoJ lawsuit accusing it of abusing its dominance in smartphones.
The dual approach highlights tensions in Trump’s agenda: a deregulatory push at home and fierce opposition to European digital rules, paired with muscular antitrust enforcement against domestic tech giants. Earlier this year, FTC chair Andrew Ferguson criticized “Brussels bureaucrats” for imposing regulations on US companies, while Trump threatened tariffs on countries that “discriminate” against American tech firms.
“This administration is saying: if there’s punishment to be doled out, we’ll do it. You don’t do it,” said Bill Kovacic, former Federal Trade Commission chair.
Analysts suggest the White House could also be using antitrust cases as leverage in broader economic negotiations. “It’s absolutely possible that the Trump administration sees these cases as leverage in its broader policy agenda,” Daniel Newman, head of research firm The Futurum Group, told the Financial Times.
Meanwhile, the legal calendar for Big Tech remains crowded. Google faces a second lawsuit over its dominance in digital advertising, with prosecutors seeking divestitures in a Virginia trial later this month. The FTC is pressing ahead with its monopoly case against Meta, despite settlement overtures from Mark Zuckerberg. Amazon’s Prime service is also under fire, with the FTC committing significant resources to its case.
“The United States will not tolerate the abuse of power by digital monopolies,” Slater said this week. “Markets should be free, not manipulated or regulated by digital tyrants.”
