The White House has ordered US diplomats in Europe to step up their efforts to oppose the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), Reuters reported after reviewing a US State Department cable.
Employees at US diplomatic missions in the EU have been ordered to “launch a lobbying campaign to build European opposition to the DSA“. Washington believes the law stifles free speech and imposes significant additional costs on US technology companies.
A cable dated August 4, signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, notes that Brussels is introducing “unreasonable” restrictions on freedom of expression, combating hate speech, and the spread of disinformation, and the DSA further tightens these restrictions. US diplomats are instructed to regularly contact representatives of member state governments, as well as agencies responsible for digital services, to convey US concerns about the Digital Services Agreement and the financial costs to US technology companies. The document contains specific recommendations to US diplomats on how to change EU legislation and points that will help them formulate the necessary arguments.
Such an order to diplomats shows the strengthening of the US administration's efforts to promote what it calls the “American tradition of free speech“ - a policy that has further exacerbated the already tense relations between the United States and its European allies, the agency reported.
As previously stated by the Vice-President of the European Commission, European Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkunen, Brussels does not intend to discuss changes to key EU digital acts, including the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, during trade negotiations with the United States.
The EU Digital Services Act entered into force in August 2023. It significantly increased control over 19 platforms, including Facebook and Instagram (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in the Russian Federation), AliExpress, Amazon Store, AppStore, Booking and others. If companies do not comply with the law, they will be fined up to 6% of their global revenues.