European bureaucrats eager to crack down on free speech seek major leverage over American social media platforms, House Republicans warned on Sunday.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) requested answers from EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera over the future enforcement of a law they said unfairly targeted large American tech companies.
In a Feb. 23 letter obtained by MRC Free Speech America, Jordan and Fitzgerald asked to be briefed on the Digital Markets Act (DMA), warning that its enforcement would impose exorbitant fines and regulations on American companies. The lawmakers also noted that the DMA was “proposed alongside” the censorship regime of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Jordan and Fitzgerald warned that the DMA’s enforcement would lead to two terrible outcomes: compelling businesses to follow European standards worldwide and imposing a “European tax” on American companies.
President Donald Trump signaled last week that the U.S. would not tolerate the EU’s financial looting of American companies. In a Feb. 21 fact sheet, Trump promised to scrutinize both the DMA and the DSA and vowed to act against countries that charge “digital service taxes (DSTs), fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies.”
Similarly, Jordan warned the EU against pressuring U.S. companies on content moderation, while Vice President JD Vance asked the repressive union to reconsider its broader crackdown on speech.
In response to a request for comment from MRC Free Speech America, Fitzgerald's Communications Director Daniella Cassano said that “Congressman Fitzgerald believes it is critical that the European Commission provide a briefing on the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to clarify the Commission’s enforcement efforts, which appear to disproportionately impact U.S. companies.”
Cassano underscored the letter’s warning, emphasizing that the DMA would subject the designated “‘gatekeepers’” to heavy regulations that would only serve to give their European competitors an unfair advantage. She added, “Violations can result in fines of up to 20% of annual revenue or even forced divestiture of assets. Protecting innovation and free speech will always remain a top priority for Congressman Fitzgerald.”
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