Google’s Adtech Fine Delayed as EU Frets Over Trump Backlash

The European Union paused its immediate plans to punish Alphabet Inc.’s Google for abusing its dominance over advertising technology amid fears that US President Donald Trump could hit back by derailing a transatlantic trade deal.

Brussels regulators had internally earmarked Sept. 1 as the date to slap the US tech giant with a fine and order changes to its business model, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

But as that date approached, senior figures at the European Commission outside of the competition team worried whether the timing and severity of the decision ...