Overview
- The August 4 cable signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio directs diplomats in Europe to build host government and stakeholder support to repeal or amend the EU’s Digital Services Act.
- The directive condemns the DSA’s measures to combat hateful speech, misinformation and disinformation as “undue” restraints on freedom of expression and costly to U.S. tech firms.
- Envoys are ordered to investigate any government efforts to suppress protected speech or coerce private platforms, prioritizing cases that affect American citizens and companies.
- EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier has reiterated that neither the DSA nor the Digital Markets Act is open for negotiation in U.S.-EU trade talks.
- U.S. technology giants such as Meta Platforms have publicly criticized the DSA for imposing heavy fines and operational burdens that amount to platform censorship.