In the past, the EU has not hesitated to try to apply European law to tech companies. Over the past decade, for example, Google has faced three fines totaling more than $8 billion for breaking antitrust law (though one of these fines was overturned by the EU’s General Court in 2024).

Some media outlets have linked the company’s cratering sales to its CEO’s growing unpopularity. That would make sense, since Musk has spent the last several months openly meddling in political systems all over Europe.