President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Europe's Digital Services Act, threatening tariffs and possibly unprecedented sanctions against EU officials over what Washington calls discriminatory tech regulations.
President Trump's Warning To Europe And China
On Monday, Trump took to Truth Social and accused Europe of unfairly targeting U.S. technology firms while giving Chinese competitors a "complete pass."
He warned, "Unless these discriminatory actions are removed, I, as President of the United States, will impose substantial additional Tariffs on that Country’s Exports to the U.S.A.… America, and American Technology Companies, are neither the ‘piggy bank' nor the ‘doormat' of the World any longer."
“Show respect to America and our amazing Tech Companies or, consider the consequences! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the president concluded.
Trump Administration Threatens Sanctions Over EU Tech Law
Trump’s statement came as Reuters reported that his administration is considering imposing visa bans on EU and member state officials responsible for implementing the DSA, citing two sources familiar with internal discussions.
The punitive measures, still under review by senior State Department officials, would represent a rare use of sanctions in a regulatory dispute and intensify the administration's campaign against European tech rules, the report said.
The DSA, which took effect last year, requires online platforms to remove illegal and harmful content more quickly and has placed heavier compliance costs on U.S. tech giants, including Facebook and Instagram's parent company, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter.
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In July, Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google was hit with an antitrust complaint from independent EU publishers over its AI Overviews tool.
Later in the month, the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority suggested major reforms to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google's mobile ecosystems following a probe into their market dominance.
Around the same time, Apple avoided potential daily EU fines by agreeing to revise its App Store policies and fee structure.
U.S. officials argue the law suppresses free expression and disproportionately targets American companies.
Rubio's Directive And Diplomatic Push
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had ordered U.S. diplomats to lobby EU governments and regulators to amend or roll back the legislation.
In May, Rubio warned of visa bans for foreign officials accused of censoring Americans.
A State Department spokesperson would not confirm the sanctions plan but told the publication that Washington is " monitoring increasing censorship in Europe with great concern."
EU Pushes Back On Censorship Allegations
The European Commission dismissed U.S. allegations, calling them "completely unfounded."
An EU spokesperson told the publication, "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right in the EU. It lies at the heart of the DSA," which sets clear rules for online intermediaries to tackle illegal content while safeguarding free speech."
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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