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    European Union vows to enforce tech rules, despite Trump pressure

    European Union vows to enforce tech rules, despite Trump pressure

    AFP |
    Published on: Sept 02, 2025 12:07 am IST
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    Brussels has affirmed its sovereign right to regulate tech giants seeking access to the EU’s 450 million affluent consumers.

    The EU will keep enforcing its tech regulations across the bloc, its digital chief Henna Virkkunen said Monday, despite threats from US President Donald Trump.

    Digital chief Henna Virkkunen said the EU will continue enforcing tech rules across the bloc. (Pic used for representation)(Reuters file)
    Digital chief Henna Virkkunen said the EU will continue enforcing tech rules across the bloc. (Pic used for representation)(Reuters file)

    The rules protect rights including freedom of expression, she posted on X, adding: “I will keep enforcing them, for our kids, citizens and businesses.”

    Brussels has already asserted its “sovereign right” to regulate the activities of tech giants wanting access to the European Union‘s 450 million well-off consumers.

    Its two main pieces of legislation — the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — aim to keep harmful content off the internet and ensure fair competition.

    But Trump, who has shaken up global trade by imposing tariffs on America’s trading partners, has threatened to add levies on those he accuses of targeting US tech companies.

    Virkkunen posted a link to a letter addressed to US Congress reiterating that the DSA and DMA were EU legislation with “no extraterritorial jurisdiction in the US or any other EU country”.

    She countered claims that the EU rules amounted to “censorship” — made by the US State Department and detractors such as Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg — by stressing that the DSA upholds freedom of expression.

    Its focus was to protect consumers, including against scams and fraud, “but also on defending our democracies and deliberate manipulation campaigns aimed at undermining free and fair elections”.

    Virkkunen also objected to Congress inviting her predecessor in the previous European Commission, Thierry Breton, to appear before US lawmakers.

    Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, UK, Bangladesh, and Russia get all the latest headlines in one place with including Trump-Putin meet Liveon Hindustan Times.
    Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, UK, Bangladesh, and Russia get all the latest headlines in one place with including Trump-Putin meet Liveon Hindustan Times.

     

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