EU dismisses Trump’s claims of bias in digital services rules

Trump warned he may impose tariffs on countries adopting digital taxes or regulations he claims disadvantage U.S. firms, remarks made shortly after Washington and Brussels agreed to cut most U.S. tariffs on European goods to 15%

The European Commission has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s accusation that Europe’s digital regulations unfairly target American technology companies, insisting the measures are designed to ensure fairness and accountability across all online platforms.

Trump said on Monday he would consider imposing tariffs on countries that adopt digital taxes or regulations, arguing such laws were intended to harm U.S. firms. His remarks came shortly after Washington and Brussels reached an agreement to reduce most U.S. tariffs on European goods to 15%, though that deal did not directly address digital services.

The Commission pushed back firmly, saying the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to limit the dominance of the largest platforms, and the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires stronger action against illegal or harmful online content, are neutral in scope.

Rules already enforced against non-U.S. companies

A spokesperson for the Commission stressed that the laws are not discriminatory, noting that recent enforcement actions under the DSA have been directed at Chinese-owned platforms AliExpress, Temu and TikTok. Investigations have also been opened into X (formerly Twitter) and Meta, both U.S. companies.

The Commission also rejected claims from Trump and some industry leaders that the rules amount to censorship. The DSA does not mandate removal of content, the spokesperson said, but requires platforms to apply their own terms and conditions transparently.

According to the Commission, more than 99% of moderation decisions in the EU are already made by platforms themselves under their existing policies. The new framework, it argued, simply ensures greater consistency and accountability.

“The EU and its member states have the sovereign right to regulate economic activities,” the spokesperson added, underscoring that digital services rules are intended to strengthen trust in Europe’s online economy rather than single out any country.