This whole "the EU fining us for breaking EU law is a tariff" narrative is such BS. The big tech companies just don't like the privacy & consumer protection laws in the EU so now they're getting the US government to help them bully the EU into submission.

Yes, criminals get fined, I don't understand why part of the HN crowd support criminals that much.

The fines are not all crime-related. They don't come out of a criminal court.

In my country, any fine > 135€ have to be given by a judge. If you want to discriminate between 'crime' and 'offense', be my guest, breaking the law get you fined, respect it, you'll be fine.

Also it's not as if the US doesn't fine EU banks disproportionately compared to US ones.

Yep, and if you respect the tariff, you don't get fined. How hard is it?

"THE LAW IS THE LAW" is not an logical argument. Tariffs are also imposed via legislation (laws).

Just as EU companies have to abide by EU privacy regs, US firms also have to abide by US tariff regs.

> Yep, and if you respect the tariff, you don't get fined. How hard is it?

Exactly, so we agree fines are not tariffs then?

> Just as EU companies have to abide by EU privacy regs, US firms also have to abide by US tariff regs.

Yes, also by nature, only importers pay tariffs, so most tarrifs will be paid by US firms, just like most EU fines are paid by EU companies. I don't see a disagreement here.

> "THE LAW IS THE LAW" is not an logical argument

It's not mine. I'm saying that if you don't commit a crime or by negligence let a crime happen, you won't get fined. Some criminals are never caught, and we can talk about two-tiered justice system, but just, I don't know... Don't commit crime? The risk to be fined will be 0 then.