The United States announced it will immediately begin a formal Section 301 trade investigation into the European Union after the European Commission imposed a major antitrust fine on Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google. On Thursday, regulators in Brussels concluded a lengthy competition probe, ruling that Google abused its market dominance through search and app store distribution practices that restricted fair competition across the European Economic Area. The Commission levied an €890 million penalty, about $1 billion, adding to a series of high-profile EU enforcement actions against large U.S. technology firms and sharpening transatlantic tensions over digital-market regulation and trade policy.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.